Charles, Prince of Wales (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is the heir apparent to the British throne as the eldest son of Elizabeth II. He has been Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay since 1952, and he is the oldest and longest-serving heir apparent in British history.
He is also the longest-serving Prince of Wales, having held that title since 1958. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace as the first grandchild of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. He was educated at Cheam and Gordonstoun schools, which his father, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, had attended as a child. Charles also spent a year at the Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar School in Victoria, Australia.
Inside life of a royal secretary including techniques used to 'persuade' royals
ok.co.ukThe British Royal family is an institution - but who is it that really keeps the show on the road? King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton might be the stars, but it's the Royal secretaries that manage everything behind the scenes.
Former Royal correspondent and author of Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown, Valentine Low recently gave a fascinating insight into the world of the royals' right-hand staff and revealed why their work is so crucial.
Sir Clive Alderton currently serves as the King's private secretary, while William and Kate are supported by Ian Patrick and Lieutenant Colonel Tom White, respectively. "They're the machinery of the palace," Low said of the key staff members during an appearance on HELLO!'s podcast. "They organise their public life, engagements, they're their gatekeeper, they determine who gets to see the member of the royal family, they write speeches, they advise, they advise on policy, and they're also a constant companion.They are with them a lot of the time." But, he added, while the private secretary will make a lot of the day-to-day decisions, the big decisions are still made by the sovereign.
Valentine also spoke about the private secretary's difficult job of trying to "persuade" their Royal to do something when they are "set on another path". "When I was writing my book Courtiers, the different techniques that the private secretaries would use to get their royal to do the right thing...
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