On May 23, Harrold posted the image on Instagram, showing a young Kate sitting on William’s lap with their arms around each other. He captioned it:
“This wonderful photo of the Prince and Princess of Wales was taken when I first met them back in 2004. A true royal love story.”
However, many followers questioned the authenticity of the photo. On May 26, Harrold responded in a statement via Instagram Stories, saying he had genuinely mistaken the image for a real throwback.
“It has come to my attention that the authenticity of a recent image I shared has been questioned to be AI. I love sharing my experiences and memories of working with the royal family, and I strive for my content to be a reflection of the great years I spent as part of the household,” he wrote.
Harrold clarified that he did not create or own the image and shared it simply because it reminded him of the couple during his early days in royal service.
“I did not take or own the image of William and Kate that I posted. I genuinely mistook this to be an authentic image of the pair. On seeing it, it made me smile, and I wanted to share this joy with you,” he added.
He also noted the challenge of identifying AI content:
“While I may be adept at telling my dinner knife from my butter knife, AI, as I’m sure you can all agree, can be harder to detect. Moving forward, I will be more cautious of the content I choose to share with my followers and will endeavour to ensure my platform remains an authentic and positive space that celebrates the royal family.”
Harrold signed the message as “Grant Harrold, The Royal Butler,” the name under which he publishes content and authored his 2025 memoir The Royal Butler: My Remarkable Life in Royal Service.
