A week ago, Buckingham Palace announced that Clive Alderton would be stepping down next spring. Alderton is King Charles’ long-time private secretary, gatekeeper and Svengali. Alderton is also terrible at his job, especially when you consider the absolute catastrophe which has unfolded in the past decade. Not only do I blame King Charles, I blame this stagnant, unimaginative, tone-deaf class of courtiers surrounding Charles, with Alderton being one of the most prominent examples. It’s clear that there are some people within Buckingham Palace who understand that Alderton has mismanaged everything off a cliff, and that changes must be made. I believe that Alderton’s slow-motion retirement shows a willingness on Charles’ part to at least listen to newer voices and cut out some of the people who were undermining him. Now, while I believe that Buckingham Palace’s operations are a total sh-tshow, BP looks positively competent compared to Prince William and Kate’s operations at Kensington Palace. Now it sounds like William’s people are running around, rage-shrieking about Alderton’s retirement and what it means for daddy’s relationship to brother.

Buckingham Palace was rocked this week by news that the King’s most loyal and influential aide will be stepping down after more than 20 years of service to the Crown. However, Sir Clive Alderton’s decision to retire as Charles’s Private Secretary will likely have been met with relief across the pond, considering California-based Prince Harry’s long-running feud with the courtier he dubbed ‘The Wasp’.

Coming so soon after the Duke of Sussex’s meeting with the King, he will undoubtedly feel it is another step towards reconciling with his father – but a royal expert has warned Sir Clive’s exit won’t automatically ‘clear a path’ back to the Palace. Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told the Daily Mail that whoever inherits the £305,000-a-year job faces a ‘huge challenge’ considering the Prince of Wales is ‘doubling down’ on his decision to cut Harry out of his life.

The royal expert said: ‘The most disastrous thing that could happen to the monarchy would be a falling out between King Charles and Prince William, who together with his family, is its future. The King would obviously be unwise to approach this without [his older son’s] support as it could be incendiary. This presents a huge challenge for whoever succeeds Sir Clive!’

From the downfall of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to the King’s cancer diagnosis, Sir Clive has been by the King’s side through it all – including ‘Megxit’.

‘He rightly appears to have been appalled by the way the Sussexes cynically exploited their newfound freedom by lashing out at the Royal Family so brutally and so publicly,’ Mr Fitzwilliams told the Daily Mail. His role in the Sandringham Summit, which ultimately led to the Sussexes’ departure following an impasse over their status as ‘half-in, half-out’ royals means there is no love lost between Sir Clive and Prince Harry.

Royal experts have long held the view that chances of reconciliation between Harry and Charles – who last month sat down for tea at Highgrove House in what was seen as a big step forward for their relationship – would greatly improve if Sir Clive stepped down. Mr Fitzwilliams told the Daily Mail that ‘the optics clearly indicate that a path is being cleared by the King for reconciliation’ amid speculation that Sir Clive will be succeeded by a much friendlier royal aide. The man widely tipped to take over from the courtier next May is Theo Rycroft, who was appointed the King’s deputy private secretary in February.

‘He is impeccably connected, being married to the Hon Flora Astor, who hails from one of Britain’s most significant dynasties, and having previously been the Deputy Chief of Mission in Paris,’ Mr Fitzwilliams said. Dubbed Mr Nice Guy, the former diplomat has emerged as a key peacemaker between Charles and Harry in recent years – and also hopes to heal the rift between the monarch’s warring sons. According to The Mail on Sunday’s Editor-at-Large, Charlotte Griffiths, Mr Rycroft is understood to have made it his ‘number one mission’ and career ambition to reunite the estranged royal brothers ‘urgently’ for the King’s sake.

Mr Fitzwilliams suggested the heir to the throne ‘showed public disdain for his (wayward) brother’ when he spent the day playing polo instead of joining Harry and Meghan’s meeting with Charles and Camilla. The Prince of Wales is said to believe his father is making a ‘misjudgment’ in making efforts to rebuild a relationship with Harry, sources say. William has allegedly barred any mention of his brother in his presence, with insiders saying he remains unwilling to even contemplate a reconciliation.

[From The Daily Mail]

“The most disastrous thing that could happen to the monarchy would be a falling out between King Charles and Prince William, who together with his family, is its future.” This is basically William’s only card and he’s been playing it since 2019. Everyone must protect, enable and cover up for William because he’s the heir and the future. That’s it. That’s all William has – he’s not intelligent, literate, inspiring, respected, charismatic or hard-working. He doesn’t actually have a plan beyond “I’m the heir, one day I will be king.” He keeps screaming and crying about how he’ll never forgive Harry and how Charles should never, ever talk to Harry, especially not without William’s permission: “The King would obviously be unwise to approach this without [his older son’s] support as it could be incendiary.” It’s only “incendiary” to William, who made daddy choose between sons and daddy chose him, but now daddy is meeting with brother!!! Why won’t daddy choose William forever??? <<< That’s what Kensington Palace’s briefings sound like.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.