SIR CLIVE ALDERTON STEPS DOWN AS KING CHARLES'S PRINCIPAL PRIVATE SECRETARY

Sir Clive Alderton, principal private secretary to King Charles and Queen Camilla, announced that he will resign in May next year on his 60th birthday. His departure will mark 20 years since he first joined the royal household. In a message to staff, Sir Clive stated that serving the King and Queen "has been the greatest imaginable honour" and said he would continue to offer support in a less formal capacity. He held the post of principal private secretary to Charles and Camilla from 2015 onwards, when they were Prince and Princess of Wales.

Sir Clive previously worked as a diplomat, having joined the Foreign Office in 1986. His postings included Belgium, France, Poland and Singapore. He was appointed deputy private secretary to Charles and Camilla in 2006 before his promotion to principal private secretary nine years later. Sir Clive became a member of the Privy Council and holds the rank of Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, an honour conferred in the 2022 Birthday Honours.

The resignation represents a significant change to the royal household's senior structure at a time when King Charles continues his reign following his accession in 2023. No successor has been named. Sir Clive's departure also concludes a period during which he served as a key figure in the King's household across two decades of considerable change in the monarchy's public standing and internal arrangements.