King Charles’ most senior aide, his principal private secretary Sir Clive Alderton is stepping down, with Buckingham Palace now facing the gruelling task of finding a successor
Buckingham Palace faces the major task of replacing the King’s right-hand man — and most senior aide — as he is stepping down.
Sir Clive Alderton, who has worked for the Royal Household for 20 years and is currently Charles and Queen Camilla’s principal private secretary, will vacate his role next year to coincide with his 60th birthday in May 2027.
It means the search is on to find someone ready to take on one of the most demanding roles in the Royal Household, overseeing the monarch’s official business while acting as a key adviser to the King and Queen.
In a message to staff, Sir Clive had said: “It has been the greatest imaginable honour to serve the King and Queen in my present role through such historic times and with unforgettable humour along the way. That support will continue, in a less formal capacity, for all of my life.”
Royal sources say an open and rigorous recruitment process for his successor will begin, with the aim of identifying the highest calibre external and internal candidates.
And it seems whoever the King’s new principal private secretary is must possess a combination of constitutional expertise, diplomatic experience and personal discretion – and be across all official work of the monarch, as well as many private matters.
This behind-the-scenes figure will take on responsibility for everything from speeches and correspondence, to official presents and congratulatory messages to members of the public, according to the Royal Family’s website.
The role requires extensive knowledge of the politics, history and culture of not only the United Kingdom but also the 14 other realms where the King is head of state, including Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
A strong understanding of the Church of England is also essential, as is knowledge of military affairs, reflecting the sovereign’s role as head of the armed forces.
On a personal level, the position also demands the ability to handle sensitive family matters with discretion, as a source told the Times, this can include offering guidance to the monarch when difficulties arise involving “a brother or perhaps a son.”
Sir Clive receives a remuneration package of approximately £300,000 per year, although the only guaranteed break in the working week for the principal secretary is a single hour on Sundays while the King and Queen attend church.
The role of the principal private secretary is arguably the most important in the Royal Household, with the individual seen by the King’s side at almost all events. Sir Clive was most notably seen supporting the monarch when he formed part of the walking procession behind the coffin during the state funeral of Elizabeth II in 2022.
Former royal correspondent and author of Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown, Valentine Low previously spoke of the demands of the job, giving a fascinating insight into the world of the royals’ right-hand staff and why their work is so crucial.
“They’re the machinery of the palace,” Low said of the key staff members during an appearance on HELLO!’s podcast in 2024. “They organise their public life, engagements, they’re their gatekeeper, they determine who gets to see the member of the royal family, they write speeches, they advise, they advise on policy, and they’re also a constant companion. They are with them a lot of the time.”
Sir Clive has been one of the most influential figures in the British Royal Household for 20 years. Alderton first joined Charles’s household in 2006 as Deputy Private Secretary when Charles was Prince of Wales, before he was promoted to Principal Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in 2015, becoming Charles’s most senior aide.
During his time as the King’s principal private secretary, he has led the monarch through his cancer diagnosis and many incoming and outgoing state visits, including his trip to Washington DC to meet US president Donald Trump, where Charles delivered an historic address to Congress. Alderton has also steered the King through more personal matters, helping to manage the fallout of Prince Harry and Meghan quitting their royal roles.
However, Harry is said to have regarded Sir Clive as one of the “men in grey suits” at the Palace and although he did not refer to him by name, appeared to give him the nickname “the Wasp” in his autobiography. He wrote in his controversial memoir Spare: “Without warning, he’d give you such a stab with his outsized stinger that you’d cry out in confusion.”
