Prince Harry’s ‘The Wasp’ rival may still advise the king, expert says

Simon Vigar, who wrote *The Four Wives of Windsor*, says Prince Harry hoped for a mixed role and explains why the Sussexes left royal duties.

King Charles’ chief aide will leave his job next year, but experts think he could still influence the palace. They told Fox News Digital that “The Wasp” might keep speaking to the king as Charles deals with his strained relationship with Harry.

Sir Clive Alderton will quit as principal private secretary next year, according to People. He will leave the job around his 60th birthday after two decades serving the royal family.

In his 2023 memoir *Spare*, Harry gave three senior staff members insect nicknames. Many believe Alderton was “The Wasp,” a fiercely loyal defender of the crown.

Queen Elizabeth’s aide, nicknamed “AK‑47,” clashed with Prince Harry in a heated “Tiaragate,” experts say.

Prince Harry left the High Court after the second day of his appeal against the Home Office’s decision to cut his police protection. Sir Clive Alderton, thought to be “The Wasp,” sits on RAVEC, the committee that decides security for public figures in the UK.

“Even after he steps down, courtiers often keep a line of influence at the palace,” royal commentator Amanda Matta told Fox News Digital.

“The Wasp or people like him could still be a voice in the king’s ear even if they no longer work there,” Matta added.

King Charles III and Sir Clive Alderton watched the Royal Ascot race from the Royal Box on Day 3, Ladies Day, on 18 June 2026.

“Their hesitation with Harry comes from not wanting more chaos or scandal in the family. After dealing with Prince Andrew and the fallout from Harry and Meghan’s move to the U.S., the king’s aides may see Harry as a threat regardless of his intentions.”

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“These are the power brokers at the palace – the people who decide who gets access, influence and the story before the public hears it,” Matta said.

On 10 July, King Charles met privately with Harry and his family at Highgrove House as they tried to heal the rift that began when the Sussexes stepped back from royal life.

King Charles III left a service for the Order of St Michael and St George at St Paul’s Cathedral on 7 May 2026, accompanied by his Page of Honour Billy Sackville, Lady Mayor of London Dame Susan Langley, and his principal private secretary Sir Clive Alderton.

Harry’s portrait of “The Wasp” was full of sting.

Prince Harry’s book *Spare* was displayed in a Bath bookstore on 16 Dec 2023.

“The Wasp was lanky, charming, arrogant, a ball of jazzy energy,” People quoted Harry as writing. “He pretended to be polite, even servile. He would answer a fact – ‘the sun rises in the morning’ – with a nervous joke about the meaning of ‘morning.’”

“Because he seemed weak and self‑effacing, you might push back, and then he would sting you hard, leaving you confused. ‘Where did that come from?’”

A palace spokesperson told People that King Charles and Queen Camilla are deeply grateful to Clive for his tireless support, wise counsel, and loyal service, ensuring a smooth hand‑over to his successor.

“Harry often uses harsh words for palace aides he feels add to family tension,” Matta said. “He is frustrated with his father’s circle and his late grandmother’s advisors, who he says blocked his access to the queen. Alderton, in particular, got under his skin with his outwardly modest style that could become treacherous once you left.”

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Queen Elizabeth II, the UK’s longest‑reigning monarch, died in 2022 at age 96.

Matta noted that in 2022 Harry said in a TV interview that he was “just making sure she’s protected and has the right people around her,” a comment seen as an early dig at the queen’s advisors, including Alderton.

“Alderton was said to have unprecedented access to the queen in her later years, briefing her on both official and family matters,” Matta claimed.

From left: Sir Clive Alderton, David Armstrong‑Jones, Prince William and King Charles III walk behind Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin as it moves from Buckingham Palace to Westminster for her lying‑in‑state on 14 Sept 2022.

People reported Alderton sits on RAVEC, the ten‑person committee that decides security for public figures in the UK. After stepping back as a senior royal in 2020, Harry lost his publicly funded police protection and is fighting to have it restored.

Prince Harry left the High Court in central London on 8 April 2025 after a hearing on the government’s decision to downgrade his security during UK visits. His lawyer said threats were made against him as the king’s youngest son appealed the “unjustified” cut.

People said a review of the Duke of Sussex’s security by RAVEC had not finished as of late June.

Harry’s team told the outlet that RAVEC’s terms require a risk‑management review at least once a year. They said the last review was almost seven years ago.

During happier times, Prince Harry is seen chatting with his father, the former Prince Charles, on 25 April 2015 in Gallipoli, Turkey.

In May 2025, Harry suggested in a BBC interview that he believed his father, as king, could influence RAVEC’s decision. Buckingham Palace has repeatedly denied the king can restore Harry’s security.

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Prince Harry arrived at Chatham House in London on 7 July 2026 to attend the Invictus Games Foundation Conversation as part of the one‑year‑to‑go celebrations for the Invictus Games Birmingham 2027.

According to the UK government website, Alderton joined the Foreign Office in 1986, serving in several diplomatic posts. He entered the royal household in 2006 as deputy private secretary to Charles and Camilla, later becoming their private secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

People reported he served as the queen’s ambassador to Morocco and non‑resident ambassador to Mauritania from 2012‑2015 before becoming Charles and Camilla’s principal private secretary.

King Charles III, Queen Camilla and their private secretary Clive Alderton were welcomed by German Bundestag President Bärbel Bas at the Reichstag in Berlin on 30 Mar 2023.

Several royal experts told Fox News Digital that Alderton holds no ill will toward the king’s younger son, saying his priority has always been protecting the crown from scandal.

Sir Clive Alderton wrote to staff, shared with People, “It has been the greatest imaginable honor to serve the King and Queen in my present role through historic times and with unforgettable humor. That support will continue, in a less formal capacity, for all my life.”

“Sir Clive Alderton is unquestionably one of the most influential figures in King Charles’ orbit,” Kinsey Schofield told Fox News Digital.

“The private secretary is the gatekeeper to the sovereign, managing access, information and logistics. Harry would know Alderton was not just another anonymous suit. Yet Harry tends to see huge power in courtiers when he dislikes an outcome.”

Prince Harry left the Invictus Games Foundation Conversation at Chatham House on 7 July 2026. Experts said there is no doubt the king’s younger son misses life in the UK.

“These people can advise, warn and facilitate, but they do not overrule the king,” she said. “Alderton’s influence comes from the confidence Charles places in him. The nickname ‘The Wasp’ shows Harry’s resentment toward the palace as much as it describes Alderton.”

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals in 2020 and moved to California.

Harry has been at odds with his family since he and Meghan stepped back as senior royals and moved to California in 2020. They said press intrusion and lack of palace support drove their exit. They voiced grievances in interviews and documentaries, and Harry’s memoir deepened the strain.

Harry has often said senior courtiers can wield great influence over the sovereign, especially the late queen and her advisors.

Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, Sir Clive Alderton, Catherine, Princess of Wales and Sophie Densham left Buckingham Palace to watch a military parade down The Mall marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day on 5 May 2025.

“Courtiers matter because access matters,” Schofield explained. “They control diaries, arrange conversations, manage competing demands and advise the monarch on risks. When family relationships are strained, these roles become even more important. But I push back against the idea that courtiers stand between a helpless Harry and a helpless Charles.”

Britain’s Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, watched King Charles III leave Westminster Abbey after the coronation on 6 May 2023, sitting a few rows from his family.

The access issue came up days before Harry’s 10 July reunion with his father. Harry and royal officials publicly disputed an offer for him to stay at Buckingham Palace. Palace sources said Harry missed the deadline; his spokesperson said the offer was withdrawn after he accepted it.

“Charles is the king,” said Schofield. “His private secretary works for him, not the other way around. Harry’s frustration with courtiers sometimes ignores that reality. When an aide delivers a decision Harry dislikes, the messenger is the easy target, even if the message reflects the monarch’s wishes.”

Prince Harry and Meghan attended the David Foster Foundation 40th Anniversary Celebration on 7 Aug 2026 in Victoria, British Columbia.

British royal expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital that Alderton’s departure has sparked speculation the king wants to be “more open to Harry,” with the long‑time aide stepping down at a relatively young age for the role.

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Sir Clive Alderton, principal private secretary to King Charles III, rode in a horse‑drawn carriage down The Mall from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament for the State Opening of Parliament on 17 July 2024.

“From all accounts, those who know him, Sir Alderton is a stalwart supporter of the monarchy,” said Fordwich. “Because of his position, he was an obvious target for Harry, who singled him out, likely because he knows how traditional the role is.”

“Palace aides like Alderton have been called the ‘Men in Grey’ for their bureaucratic, everywhere‑present nature,” Matta said. “Harry’s label ‘The Wasp’ gives a new view of how seriously they take their role. Sometimes that means taking a hard line even between the monarch and family members if the aide believes it protects the monarchy.”

Ahead of the release of his memoir *Spare*, Prince Harry has had storylines leaked and gave interviews that captured public interest.

“Even now, King Charles routes all his official and personal communications through his staff – he doesn’t use a mobile phone – so they are a formidable ‘line of defence’ for Harry to get one‑on‑one time with his father.”

“I would love reconciliation with my family,” Harry told the BBC in 2025. “There’s no point in fighting any more. Life is precious. I don’t know how much longer my father has.” The king is still being treated for an undisclosed cancer.

British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital that Alderton’s influence on the monarchy will surely continue long after he leaves.

“Colleagues describe Sir Alderton as ‘the ringmaster,’ able to control complex, chaotic situations without drama,” she said. “He was valued for candor. He didn’t just agree; he advised, always keeping the institution at the centre of every decision.”

King Charles and his younger son Prince Harry are shown here before the Duke of Sussex’s exit from royal life.

“His relationship with Prince Harry was notably difficult. From the palace view, Sir Clive acted as a constitutional safeguard, ensuring personal appeals did not override the advice and structures that protect the monarchy.”

People reported the palace is recruiting Alderton’s successor, expected to start in spring or summer 2027. The new aide will also take Alderton’s seat on RAVEC.

Stephanie Nolasco is an Entertainment Reporter for Fox News Digital.

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