Harrold is a former butler to King Charles III and the United Kingdom’s “leading expert on etiquette,” according to the jacket description, but he makes a good impression and does well without a ghostwriter. The Crown plays a modest role in the lives of most Britons, but Harrold’s parents were genuine enthusiasts who enjoyed visiting country houses or attending ceremonies where anyone connected to the royal family appeared. Catching the bug, he shared their fascination. As a child, he sent chatty letters to the queen, and by adolescence discovered that butlers made a career of assisting royalty and vowed to join them. He loved his first experience, a two-week stint cleaning a country house for the shooting season, after which the owners offered him a job. Trainee butlers spend their time scrubbing, vacuuming, and making beds, but he also attended a college course on serving at table. After some years in a run-of-the-mill manor, he was interviewed repeatedly before joining the household of Charles, Prince of Wales and later king. As he rose to the top of his profession, he seems to have enjoyed every minute of it. There is less drama than readers familiar with Upstairs, Downstairs or Downton Abbey might expect, and history buffs will note the absence of obnoxious royalty. He has little but praise for the aristocracy who seem to treat their staff well and even (in the younger generation) familiarly. Service in a noble household demands as much drudgery as skill, but he remains star-struck to the end as he recounts the camaraderie, friendship, and occasional horseplay of fellow workers, along with the perks—good food, celebrities, world leaders close-up, and first-class travel.
