Paul Burrell recalls Harry’s generosity and sensitivity, contrasting it with William’s discipline and formality
Prince Harry and Prince William may have grown up side by side, but according to former royal butler Paul Burrell, their upbringings and personalities were worlds apart.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, Burrell — who served as Princess Diana’s trusted aide for over a decade — reflected on the young princes’ contrasting characters, shaped by their roles and temperaments from an early age.
“Harry was always a generous and sensitive boy,” Burrell shared, recalling how the younger prince often delighted in giving money to Burrell’s own children. “He would like nothing better than to give my boys a ‘Pink Granny’ or a ‘Blue Granny’”—playful nicknames for £50 and £5 notes bearing Queen Elizabeth II’s image.
“He used to give out notes so they could save for a PlayStation or something. He was very kind,” he said. “William wouldn’t have done that, because William would be saving his money for something important.”
Burrell painted Harry as carefree and warm-hearted, while describing William as more reserved and focused. “Harry was more free-spirited. William, being the eldest, carried more responsibility.”
The former butler also remembered how the differences between the two extended beyond money. “I remember Harry riding his chopper bike down to play football with my boys, holes in his jeans,” Burrell recalled. “William would arrive immaculately dressed, sometimes in his little model Aston Martin.”
While their adult lives have taken dramatically different paths, Burrell’s reflections highlight how the seeds of those differences were sown long before royal duty, family rifts, or public scrutiny came into play — shaped by personality, position, and perhaps the weight of expectation.
