Prince Harry’s prospects of being welcomed back into the royal fold have received a significant boost after one of the final remaining obstacles was removed.
It emerged on Monday that Sir Clive Alderton will step down from his role as principal private secretary to King Charles next year.
While the Palace will advertise for a successor, the move appears to clear the path for the promotion of former UK diplomat Theo Rycroft, currently deputy private secretary.
Sir Clive and Rycroft are believed to be leading rival factions within the royal household, with Alderton advising the King to maintain distance from his younger son.
By contrast, Rycroft is eager to pursue a reconciliation, concerned that the rift is harming the monarchy.
With Sir Clive departing, only Prince William seemingly remains as an obstacle to Harry and Meghan’s return, though the Prince of Wales’s position will be undermined by Sir Clive’s absence.
Harry referred disparagingly to Sir Clive as ‘The Wasp’ in his 2023 memoir, Spare. Describing him as “lanky, charming, arrogant, a ball of jazzy energy” and “great at pretending to be polite, even servile,” 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 out in confusion. Where the f*** did that come from?”
Sir Clive has served within the royal household since 2006 and became Charles’s most trusted aide 11 years ago. He helped smooth the ascension process in 2022 and played a crucial role in orchestrating the King’s coronation in 2023.
The Telegraph reports that Sir Clive has notified staff, informing them: “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.”
Besides the Coronation, Sir Clive has ensured State Visits, including by Donald Trump, have proceeded without incident and managed the fallout from the Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor scandal.