A key member of Prince William's staff has quit his job as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's private secretary for the last 10 months. Christian Jones is moving on to a private equity group after working at Kensington Palace.
According to The Telegraph, Jones is now a partner at Bridgepoint but he will still be available to dispense advise to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge if needed.
Jones took on the role of William's private secretary in March 2020 after Simon Case, who also left Kensington Palace for a job on Downing Street under Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Previously, Jones was the deputy communications secretary for the Cambridges as well as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Prior to joining Kensington Palace, Jones worked as the head of news for the Department for Exiting the European Union and at the Treasury. According to Daily Mirror, he was responsible for improving William's public image during the pandemic by pushing the Duke of Cambridge to get out of his comfort zone.
It's still unclear who will become William's new private secretary following Jones' departure.
The news comes as Prince Charles and Camilla also lost a key staff this January. Julian Payne, the communications secretary at Clarence House, has joined the firm Edelman as their new Chair of Corporate Affairs.
Like Jones, Payne also helped with the Princes of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall's public image. He worked at Clarence House for five years and was vital to the royal couple's shift to the online platform during this pandemic.
Meanwhile, William has revealed that he's "very proud" his grandparents, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, who had their first vaccination against COVID-19 early this month. During a virtual conference with Hospice UK, the Duke of Cambridge said that it's really important for "everyone" to get their vaccination against the dreaded virus.
William also congratulated the vaccination program of the NHS as it will make a "massive difference" to public health. The U.K. government is pushing to make the vaccine available and accessible not just for the British people but for the world by funding the development of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.
The Duke of Cambridge is currently working from his home in Anmer Hall amid the lockdown in the U.K. William and Kate have no plans to return to Kensington Palace or resume face-to-face royal events until the government has issued new guidelines.
