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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Sarah Vesty & Jennifer Newton

Inside King Charles' tight inner circle with adored aide, 'hunky' assistant and old friend

With the official royal mourning period now being over, members of the Firm are resuming their official duties following the death of the Queen. And as King Charles prepares to enter the fourth week of his reign, he will undoubtedly have a busy time with several important issues to be tackled.

Not only is the country facing a cost-of-living crisis but there is also a war in Europe while some of the 14 Commonwealth realms are questioning the place of a constitutional monarchy in the modern world, the Mirror reports.

His Majesty will also be keen to rebuild his relationship with his youngest son Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle. So who might Charles be depending upon to steer him in the early part of his reign? Here we take a look...

Sir Clive Alderton began working for the King in 2006 when he was Prince of Wales and quickly rose through the ranks to become his private secretary. Now it is understood he will be announced as private secretary to the sovereign in due course - taking over from the late Queen's private secretary Sir Edward Young, who is said to step aside after a transition period.

Sir Clive is a career diplomat who became Britain's ambassador to Morocco after a previous six-year stint as an aide at Clarence House between 2006 and 2012. Always sharply dressed with blonde combed-over hair, he regularly accompanied Charles on overseas tours. Queen Consort Camilla in particular is said to "adore" him, one source told the Times.

Sir Clive Alderton at the Queen's funeral (Getty)

In 2020, he is said to have played a key role in the negotiations of Harry and Meghan's Megxit deal - and according to The Times, friends suggest he came up with the phrase "recollections may vary" in response to their bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview.

Peter St Clair-Erskine is the former master of the household at Clarence House - and has been tipped to carry on in his role at Buckingham Palace now Charles is King. His job as master of the household is to ensure Charles and Camilla's public life runs as smoothly as possible.

King Charles talks with Peter St Clair-Erskine (Getty)

An Old Etonian, he has worked for the royal couple since 2014 and before that was head of royalty protection at the Metropolitan Police for 10 years.

One aide who seems to have been at Charles' side ever since he came to the throne is equerry Major Jonathan Thompson. He is of the 5th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland and is often seen wearing a traditional kilt.

He previously worked for the late Queen too. Equerries are drawn from the armed forces and are required to assist the royals both inside their residences and when out and about on public engagements.

Since being thrust into the spotlight, the 39-year-old has developed a strong online following with many swooning over him.

One fan wrote on Twitter: "Major Jonny Thompson is a tremendous hunk!" Another remarked: "We need more footage of the rather handsome kilted Major Jonny Thompson."

King Charles with Major Johnny Thompson as he addresses Parliament earlier this month (Getty)

While one said: "I think I'm getting a wee crush on King Charles's new royal equerry."

Sir Nicholas Soames is a grandson of Sir Winston Churchill and has been a close friend of the King's since they were teenagers. The former MP is known to be a close confidant of Charles and even worked as an equerry for him in the 1970s.

Two days after the Queen's death, Sir Nicholas spoke about how his friend's life would change after taking the throne - and how he will handle the pressure.

He told BBCRadio 4's Today programme: "As the King said last night, as he embarks on his new responsibilities, clearly his life will change, and his views and the way that he conducts himself will observe, of course, the constitutional principles.

Sir Nicholas is a grandson of Sir Winston Churchill (Getty)

"He made absolutely plain that he intends to uphold the constitutional principles at the heart of the nation that he understands very well. The Prince of Wales has served a long apprenticeship at the feet of an absolute master and he knows very well what the constitutional obligations are."

One person certainly at the heart of the King's inner circle is his 'darling' wife and now Queen Consort Camilla. She too has been an almost constant at his side since his accession and according to former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond she knows how to "soothe and calm him".

She told the Mirror: "She is his rock; the foundation on which his Kingship will succeed or founder." Meanwhile in a new book called The New Royals, its author Katie Nicholl, a royal expert, says that Camilla even sometimes "calls the shots".

Queen Consort Camilla at King Charles' proclamation (Getty)

She writes: "Charles often runs ideas and speeches by his wife and there are times Camilla calls the shots." And as well as his wife, Charles will also have his eldest son and new Prince of Wales, Prince William, to lean on.

Images of William standing alongside his father and the Queen Consort at the historic Accession Council ceremony in the days after the Queen's death showed "a modern monarchy evolving before our very eyes", says the Mirror's Royal Editor Russell Myers.

He added: "It appears that Charles has realised he must evolve with his new role and surround himself with trusted lieutenants such as William.

"He must also prepare his heir for the future and it is surely no coincidence their relationship has strengthened in recent times, with this in mind. The Prince of Wales also realises that the time has now come for him too to realise his own destiny."

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