A shakeup is coming to the Royal Household next year: Sir Clive Alderton, the Principal Private Secretary to King Charles and Queen Camilla, is set to retire. “It has been the greatest imaginable honor to serve The King and Queen in my present role through such historic times and with unforgettable humor along the way,” Alderton said. “That support will continue, in a less formal capacity, for all of my life.”
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said that King Charles and Queen Camilla “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.” Town & Country understands that the Palace will begin the recruitment process for his successor, with the aim of that person starting in their new role next spring or summer. The Times reports, “The search for his replacement is likely to include existing palace staff and external candidates.”
Alderton joined the Royal Household in 2006, where he began his career as a Deputy Private Secretary to then-Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. In 2008, he was promoted to Private Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, and served in that role until 2012. From 2012 to 2015, he was the Ambassador to Morocco, and then he returned to the royal fold, where he has been Charles and Camilla’s Principal Private Secretary. Alderton was knighted in 2022.
It is widely believed Prince Harry wrote about Alderton in Spare, calling him “The Wasp.” The Duke of Sussex wrote, “The Wasp was link, charming, arrogant, a ball of jazzy energy. He was great at pretending to be polite, even servile. You’d assert a fact, something seemingly incontrovertible — I believe the sun rises in the mornings —and he’d stammer that perchance you might consider for a comment the possibility that you’d been misinformed: Well, heh-heh, I don’t know about that, Your Royal Highness, you see, it all depends what you mean by mornings, sir.’”
Harry added, “Because he seemed so weedy, so self-effacing, you might be tempted to push back, insist on your point, and that was when he’d put you on his list. A short time later, without warning, he’d give you such a stab with his outsized stinger that you’d cry in confusion.”
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Deputy Digital Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms.