King Charles’s Private Secretary Sir Clive Alderton is despised by the Duke of Sussex.
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Secretary → despise → Sussex
So deeply does Prince Harry loathe the courtier, who has loyally and tirelessly served his father for more than a decade, that he singled him out for stinging criticism in his tawdry memoir, Spare.
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he → loathe → memoir
The former diplomat, 59, was held up as an example of everything that was wrong about the British monarchy.
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that → hold → monarchy
Giving him the nickname ‘the Wasp’, Harry claimed that he was one of three ‘middle-aged white men’ at the heart of the Royal Household ‘who’d managed to consolidate power through a series of bold Machiavellian manoeuvres’.
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who → give → manoeuvres
He said Sir Clive was ‘lanky, charming, arrogant, a ball of jazzy energy’ and described his technique as ‘pretending to be polite, even servile’.
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Clive → say → technique
Harry wrote: ‘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 moment 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.
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you → write → mornings
King Charles with his Private Secretary Sir Clive Alderton in March this year
‘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.
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he → seem → list
A short time later, without warning, he’d give you such a stab with his out-sized stinger that you’d cry out in confusion.
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you → give → confusion
Where the f*** did that come from?’
This week, however, Sir Clive found himself in the unusual position of using all his ‘jazzy energy’ and charm to undertake an important mission on behalf of Harry, the man who said publicly that he disliked him and called him a ‘usurper’.
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he → come → him
The courtier was asked by the King to help ensure that the Invictus Games, which are due to take place in Birmingham next July, are a success.
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which → ask → Birmingham
The Paralympic-style contest for injured and sick former military personnel, which was created by Harry, threatened to become a shambles after one of the countries taking part, Uganda, said it was pulling out after a letter was sent on behalf of the King clarifying that Harry and his wife Meghan remained non-working royals.
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wife → create → Harry
Sir Clive telephoned the country’s military chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, to smooth over relations.
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Clive → telephone → relations
A Ugandan spokesman said ‘Sir Alderton [sic] revealed that King Charles III was moved by General Kainerugaba’s sensitive consideration of the King’s opinion on the upcoming Invictus Games organised by Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex.
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III → say → Sussex
Sir Alderton said King Charles III has no problem with Uganda’s participation in the Invictus Games.’
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III → say → Games
As a result of Sir Clive’s moving pleas to the general, Uganda has returned to the games.
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Uganda → move → games
His intervention will have deterred any other countries thinking of following Uganda’s example and withdrawing from the event.
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intervention → deter → event
Palace sources say Sir Clive’s involvement demonstrates the King’s support for the Invictus Games and for Birmingham, something that was never in doubt.
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that → say → doubt
Invictus was launched by the Royal Foundation of Prince William and Catherine, as well as Harry.
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Invictus → launch → William
At the inaugural games in London in 2014, Charles and Camilla attended the opening ceremony as well as William.
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Charles → attend → ceremony
Palace sources say Sir Clive’s involvement demonstrates the King’s support for the Invictus Games (Charles and Prince Harry pictured in 2014 at the Invictus Games)
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Charles → say → Games
It is, however, not surprising that Ugandan officials were bewildered about the King’s view of Invictus.
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officials → bewilder → Invictus
The fact that Sir Clive had to intervene is a worrying example of the monarch’s confusing response to Harry and Meghan’s return to Britain.
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Clive → intervene → Britain
His decision to instruct the Lord Chamberlain, Richard Benyon, to send a letter to government departments and the military on his behalf reiterating the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s status as non-working royals was meant to clarify their position.
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decision → instruct → position
In fact, it did the opposite.
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it → do → opposite
If their status was ‘akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests’, as the letter suggested, should proud members of the Commonwealth such as Uganda take part in the Invictus Games, of which Harry is patron?
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Harry → suggest → which
Sir Clive’s intervention is evidence that the King is now dancing to Harry’s tune.
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King → dance → tune
Not only is the ‘usurper’ having to work in the duke’s interests, but the Sussexes have managed to achieve what they have long campaigned for: a review of their right to automatic, taxpayer-funded protection.
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they → have → protection
The fiasco over the education of the children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, who were withdrawn from their school after two days because of security fears, might suggest that the Sussexes’ return has been chaotic.
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return → withdraw → fears
The couple are, however, quietly on their way to achieving what they wanted, thanks to our well-meaning but misguided monarch and his loyal servant Sir Clive.
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they → achieve → monarch
Read more:
- Read the book so raw and revealing it has started a war of words with the King.
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it → read → King
In searing detail, EARL SPENCER recalls Charles's behaviour in the hours and days after Diana died
- Prince Harry reveals he was 'aware' of Earl Spencer's book as King enters war of words with Diana's brother who claims Charles told him she would be 'forgotten' days after her death
-
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she → recall → death
William and Kate get their waterproofs out and King attends summit amid Palace's war of words with Earl Spencer over his new book
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King → get → book
The Aporia
