Could a major Palace shake-up finally clear the way for Prince Harry to fully patch things up with King Charles III? Uhhh… not so fast!
According to reporting from Page Six and others this week, King Charles and Queen Camilla‘s longtime principal private secretary, Sir Clive Alderton, is going to be stepping down from his powerful role in May 2027.
And since Harry famously took aim at Alderton, seemingly referring to him as “The Wasp” in Harry’s infamous memoir Spare, some royal watchers have wondered if the retirement could remove one big obstacle standing between the Duke of Sussex and the rest of the Royal Family.
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But royal insider Kinsey Schofield isn’t buying that theory! As she told Page Six on Tuesday:
“Harry may welcome Sir Clive’s retirement personally, especially after portraying him so negatively in Spare. But if Harry believes one retirement suddenly clears the path back into the Royal Family, I think he’ll be disappointed. The trust deficit is far bigger than any one adviser.”
Oof! That’s a pretty blunt reality check!
Schofield argued that too many people are giving palace staffers credit for decisions that ultimately belong to the King himself. In her view, the real issue has always been rebuilding confidence after years of very public family drama.
She explained:
“Reconciliation has always depended less on who advises the King and more on whether Harry can convince his family that history won’t repeat itself.”
Her comments also pushed back on some earlier remarks from royal expert Tom Sykes, who told News24 recently that Alderton’s departure was a “good day for Harry” and bad news for those opposed to bringing him back into the royal fold.
Schofield disagreed, telling the outlet:
“I think it’s premature to call this a win for Prince Harry. Sir Clive Alderton has been one of King Charles’ most trusted advisers, but Palace policy isn’t built around one individual. The issues that fractured the relationship, trust, confidentiality, and Harry’s repeated public criticism of the institution, don’t disappear because one courtier is retiring.”
Well then! In other words, one adviser’s retirement isn’t exactly a magic wand.
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Schofield believes Harry still has plenty of work to do if he wants to fully repair those family bonds. As she put it:
“It begins with rebuilding credibility. That’s something only Harry can do, and it takes time, consistency, and discretion.”
No kidding…
She also emphasized that Charles has never relied on just one adviser when it comes to family matters, adding:
“The obstacle has never simply been Sir Clive Alderton. The much bigger issue is whether the Royal Family believes they can have private conversations with Harry without seeing them become public. People often overestimate the power of palace aides. Senior courtiers advise the sovereign, they don’t overrule him. If Charles truly wanted Harry back in an official capacity, that decision has always belonged to the King.”
Hmmm! Interesting! Who knows — maybe Alderton’s departure will help. Heck, it can’t hurt… can it??
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[Image via MEGA/WENN]