Royal butler reveals the secret to impressing the Royal Family, and how it created a strong bond between Princess Anne and this family member

Describing his experiences with Princess Anne ahead of her birthday on August 15, a former royal butler let slip a surprising tip on how an outsider can get in the good graces of the Royal Family. The former butler described the Princess Royal as a “daddy’s girl” who is a “very direct person” – and credits part of that bluntness as being inherited from the late Prince Philip. And it’s this directness which is necessary when trying to get in good with the Royals, as they tend to warm towards people who are upfront about exactly who they are.

• Former royal butler Grant Harrold has revealed the surprising trick that is guaranteed to get you in the good graces of the Royal Family.
• He revealed that the royals - in particular, the "very direct" Princess Anne - respect when a person is upfront about who they are, even if it means them being "silly."
• In other royal news, this royal is the most popular public figure in America - and it's not the King or the Princess of Wales!

Picture it: you’ve met someone. You click. You get through those nerve-shredding first few weeks of dating, wondering if they like you the same way.

Now picture having to meet their family afterwards – and that family just happens to be the Royal Family.

If you were the likes of Mike Tindall, you don’t need to picture that. That was his reality. But, thanks to new insight from a former royal butler, the “cheeky” Mike was perhaps always guaranteed to have a good relationship with his future in-laws, including Princess Anne - even if another family member was "dead against" his marriage to Zara Tindall.

Grant Harold previously worked for the Royal Family as a butler to King Charles (the then Prince of Wales) for seven years. As he explains to Slingo ahead of Princess Anne’s birthday on Tuesday (August 15), there were certain characteristics he noted would be welcomed by the family – especially the “very direct” Princess Royal.

And, as Grant explains, Mike Tindall “owning” his “cheekiness” was one way he knew the pair would certainly form a strong bond.

The former butler said, “Mike has quite a cheeky personality, and Anne likes that a lot. One thing I noticed about the Royal Family is that they like people to be themselves.”

“If you’re naughty, be naughty. If you’re funny, be funny. You’ve got to own what you are.”

Anne can see through a phony, he implies, adding, “I really liked how straight talking she was with everyone. She was like her father, Prince Philip, in that sense - but without the swearing. She is a very direct person.”

As for how the Princess Royal might be spending her upcoming birthday? Typically laid back and unfussy.

“When it comes to celebrations, she will always prefer to have a low-key celebration. She really prefers minimal fuss. She does break the mold of being a traditional royal in the way that she does things.”

“She’s always been someone to do her own thing. You will see her out and about in her local town, just doing what she needs to do.”