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Many have already helped with the meticulous planning necessary to ensure a smooth transition for the new monarch. The King was formally proclaimed in a historic ceremony at St James’s Palace in London on Saturday.
By his side was his righthand man, Sir Clive Alderton, 55, who was seen whispering to the King at the proclamation, ensuring the moment ran smoothly.
A former diplomat, Sir Clive has worked for Clarence House since 2006 and is likely to remain a key figure in the new royal household.
The trusted courtier once held a Foreign Office role, living in various countries at the start of his career including Singapore, Poland and France.
In 2006, Sir Clive landed the role of deputy Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall and was promoted to Private Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to their Royal Highnesses three years later, becoming ambassador to Mauritania and Morocco.
Since 2015, when he became Charles’ Principal Private Secretary, he has been a constant by the new King’s side – and is likely to remain in post now Charles is sovereign.
Another key player at the Accession Council ceremony was Peter St Clair-Erskine, officially the 7th Earl of Rosslyn and also known as Peter Loughborough. St Clair-Erskine has worked for the King and Queen Consort since 2014 as master of the household at Clarence House and is charged with ensuring that the couple’s public life runs smoothly.
Previously, Eton-educated St Clair-Erskine worked as head of royalty protection for more than 10 years.
Another pivotal figure will be Camilla’s private secretary Sophie Densham, who was also at Saturday’s event and has helped to run her office for more than a decade.
With the support of the Queen Consort, to be known as Queen Camilla, Charles, 73, is now likely to begin assigning roles to established and new figures in his team.
This leaves Sir Edward Young, the late Queen’s private secretary, who was also at the ceremony, potentially facing redundancy with other members of her household.
Most of the late Queen’s long-standing aides, faithful to her until her final hours, will be given different roles or retire m their current positions.
They would usually have only a month’s notice before they would either be redeployed to another royal household or look for alternative employment.
However, full transition will take months and more staff will be needed to support the King’s growing in-tray.
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