Sir Clive Alderton, King Charles‘ principal private secretary, will leave his position in 2027 after two decades of service to the royal family. The announcement was made on July 27, 2026, as the palace prepares for a change in its senior staff. Alderton plans to retire around his 60th birthday, ending a role in which he became one of the King’s most trusted advisers.
The royal aide played a central part in several major moments for the monarchy. He helped prepare for King Charles’s accession after Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022 and supported the planning of the coronation on May 6, 2023. He also assisted the King during the first years of his reign. In a message to palace employees, Alderton described serving King Charles and Queen Camilla as a great honor. He added that he would continue supporting them even after retiring from his long-time position.
“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. That support will continue, in a less formal capacity, for all of my life,” Alderton said in a message to staff.
The palace is expected to begin searching for Alderton’s replacement, who should start working in the spring or summer of 2027. His departure seems to have brought renewed attention to the words Prince Harry had for him in his memoir, Spare. The book, published on January 10, 2023, spoke about the three senior royal staff members using bug nicknames. . Alderton is widely believed to be the person Harry called the Wasp. Harry described that official as energetic, charming, arrogant, and skilled at politely challenging statements.
“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.’ “
