Buckingham Palace's announcement that Sir Clive Alderton, King Charles III's longtime principal private secretary, will step down next year after two decades of royal service has reignited debate over whether the monarch's relationship with Prince Harry could enter a new phase without one of the palace's most influential advisers.
The resignation, confirmed by Buckingham Palace last week, marks the upcoming departure of one of the most senior officials in the royal household. While the Palace has not linked Alderton's decision to family matters, royal commentators argue that his exit has prompted renewed scrutiny of the internal dynamics that have shaped relations between the King and the Duke of Sussex since Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from royal duties in 2020.
Much of that discussion centers on Alderton's role as one of King Charles' closest advisers and his prominence in Prince Harry's memoir, Spare, where the Duke criticized unnamed palace officials he believed stood between him and members of his family.
Speaking on The Royalist podcast, former royal correspondent Valentine Low and royal commentator Tom Sykes discussed Alderton's influence inside Buckingham Palace and how Prince Harry has reportedly viewed the senior courtier.
Low said Harry portrayed several palace officials through symbolic references rather than naming them directly.
"One of the things about Spare is he doesn't actually name his enemies, but the intelligent or the well-informed reader knows who they are," Low said.
According to Low, Harry associated Alderton with one of those descriptions.
"Clive in that was the wasp," Low stated, adding that Harry portrayed the courtier as outwardly personable but difficult to challenge.
Low further remarked that Alderton had a reputation for remembering criticism directed toward him.
"Speaking as someone who, you know, he hasn't always treasured everything I've written about him," Low said. "And I think he, should we say, remembers that to this day."
Neither Buckingham Palace nor Alderton has publicly responded to Harry's characterization in Spare.
The discussion also examined the differing priorities that have defined the relationship between palace officials and the Sussexes since their departure from official royal duties.
Low argued that Alderton's responsibilities required him to protect the interests of King Charles and the institution of the monarchy, objectives that did not always align with Harry and Meghan's goals after relocating to California.
"There was a certain amount of antipathy, I mean neither Meghan nor Harry liked Clive," Low said, adding that the couple did not trust him.
He also described the structure of the royal household as consisting of separate competing offices.
"Because what you have to remember about these palaces, it's all separate fiefdoms, isn't it? And sub-fiefdoms. And so Harry's was a sub-fiefdom."
The conversation also turned to the long-running dispute surrounding Prince Harry's UK security arrangements.
Sykes noted that some individuals close to Harry have blamed Alderton for opposing the Duke's efforts to regain publicly funded police protection while visiting Britain. Alderton sits on the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC), the body involved in decisions concerning protective security for members of the Royal Family and other public figures.
According to Sykes, disagreements over security nearly disrupted Harry's recent visit to Britain, during which reports indicated that Harry, Meghan, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet privately met King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove House.
Even so, both commentators cautioned against attributing those decisions solely to Alderton.
Sykes suggested that placing responsibility for every disagreement on one palace official oversimplified a far more complex institutional process.
Low agreed, particularly regarding security policy, saying senior private secretaries contribute to discussions but do not make final determinations.
"Obviously, their voice is listened to, but in the end, I don't think it'll affect it," Low concluded.
