King Charles's top aide hailed for achieving 'the unthinkable' during 20-year tenure
King Charles's top aide hailed for achieving 'the unthinkable' during 20-year tenure
Ben McCaffrey Mon, July 27, 2026 at 7:26 PM UTC
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King Charles, Sir Clive Alderton | Source: GETTY
Sir Clive Alderton, the King's outgoing senior aide, has been commended for his dedication to the Palace.
The Principal Private Secretary to the King and Queen, and has been in his particular role for 11 years, announced he was to leave his role after 20 years at the Palace this afternoon.
During that time, he has overseen the transition between Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III - something royal commentator Richard Fitzpatrick described as "unthinkable".
He told GB News that the "normally seamless way the monarchy operates is partly due to courtiers" whom he described as "a species frequently parodied but essential to the institution's survival."
Mr Fitzwilliams explained: "The 20-year stint of Sir Clive Alderton as the Prince of Wales’s and then the King's Private Secretary will particularly be remembered by the way he handled what had often seemed unthinkable: the transition between the reigns of Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III and subsequently the Coronation."
He explained this process was "widely regarded as a huge success."
Sir Clive's departure will coincide with his 60th birthday in May, allowing the Palace to launch a thorough and open recruitment process to find his replacement. He has pledged to remain committed to ensuring a seamless handover.
In a message addressed to colleagues this afternoon, Sir Clive 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."
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Meanwhile, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said Their Majesties are "deeply grateful to Clive for his tireless support and wise counsel over the years, and for the enduring loyalty that will ensure a smooth transition to his successor".
While astutely successful, his tenure also saw some of the most significant royal scandals in recent history: the Sussexes' bombshell exit and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to Jeffrey Epstein.
King Charles, Sir Clive Alderton | Source: GETTY
The Palace's response to Mr Mountbatten-Windsor's public disgrace "often seemed inadequate," Mr Fitzwilliams said.
Meanwhile, Harry unequivically expressed his displeasure for the courtier in his controversial memoir, Spare.
The prince referred to three disliked courtiers; the Bee, the Fly and the Wasp - Sir Clive being the latter - as "middle-aged white men who’d managed to consolidate power through a series of bold Machiavellian manoeuvres".
The duke added: "I disliked these men."
King Charles, Sir Clive Alderton | Source: GETTY
Mr Fitzwilliams noted there had also been "speculation that if the Sussexes' relations with senior courtiers were less hostile, 'Megxit' might have been avoided."
But the commentator insisted Sir Clive handled the King's ongoing battle with cancer "masterly", and the monarch "owes a considerable debt" to his aide over recent successful state visits - none more so than his celebrated trip to the US and the White House in April.
Mr Fitzwilliams poignantly concluded: "Sir Clive has surely served his sovereign with distinction."
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