Queen Elizabeth Didn’t Give Charles Gifts for His Birthday and Forgot the Birthdate of Another One of Her Children
Getting gifts from family and friends for a birthday is something many people are accustomed to receiving each year, but not if you’re Queen Elizabeth II‘s oldest son. Former royal family employees are revealing why the late monarch didn’t give Charles presents for his birthday.
Here’s more on that and which one of the queen’s children was left heartbroken when she didn’t even remember their birthday.
Former royal butler says the late queen didn’t give Charles birthday presents
Paul Burrell began working in the royal household when he was 18 years old. He served as Queen Elizabeth II‘s personal footman for years and in 1987, was moved to the household of then-Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Burrell explained that while there are public birthday celebrations for the monarch and other senior royals held annually like Trooping the Colour, the actual day is “not really celebrated” privately within the family.
Speaking on behalf of Slingo, Burrell said: “Birthdays aren’t really celebrated in the royal family. We will send cards and gifts to ones we love but the royals don’t do that and that always surprised me … So I never saw birthday cards on the mantelpiece and I never had to rush around and find birthday cards for people.”
Another one of Charles’ butlers, Grant Harrold, who worked for the king from 2004 to 2011, agreed that “birthdays aren’t a massive thing to be celebrated for the royals.”
However, according to Burrell, the queen did give Charles very “useful” gifts for Christmas.
Some members of the royal family exchange small gag gifts on Christmas Eve, but that’s when Queen Elizabeth would give her eldest son “something that he might use when he is out riding. She would carefully find out from his household what he would use.”
Queen Elizabeth once forgot the birthday of another one of her children
Even though the royals may not celebrate their birthdays in grand fashion, one of the queen’s children was reportedly left heartbroken when their mother didn’t remember the date.
In the documentary Paxman on the Queen’s Children, royal biographer Ingrid Seward spoke about how the royal family matriarch forgot her youngest son’s birthday when he was in his 20s.
“One year on [Prince Edward’s] birthday, he went to have breakfast with the queen, and nothing was said. She didn’t know it was his birthday,” Seward said (per Express).
The author also wrote about the prince being heartbroken over his mom not remembering in the book titled Prince Edward: A Biography. She explained that Edward sat at the table with his mother as she “ate her toast and marmalade and sipped her special blend of tea” but made no mention of his birthday whatsoever.
Seward added that a royal aide later alerted the monarch that she had forgotten Edward’s birthday and a “hasty” phone call was made.
