Prince William, 37, has to say goodbye to his most important employee: his private secretary Simon Case. Since July 2018, Case has been the right hand of the second in the British succession. Now he has returned to his roots and is supporting the government for the time being.
Prince Williams private secretary changes to the government
"The role of the private secretary of the Duke of Cambridge is the highest ranking appointment in the household of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge under the overall responsibility for managing the household," said an official letter from the Kensington Palace in 2018 when Case was appointed. Prince William now has to do without his "senior" employee. A spokesman for the prime minister said Simon Case is helping the government deal with the corona pandemic. "Simon is the permanent secretary on the coronavirus response," said the spokesman. And further:
"He is temporarily transferred from the royal household to us. In particular, he coordinates the response to the corona virus."
Accordingly, the move from the royal family to the government appears to be temporary for the time being. The spokesman does not specify an exact period. How Prince William feels about the temporary loss of his private secretary is not public. It is also unknown whether Case will be replaced during this time.
Simon Case again at Downing Street No. 10th
Case worked for the government before he was appointed to the court. "Simon has held a number of senior public service roles, including as Prime Minister's First Private Secretary," Kensington Palace said in 2018. The Prime Minister's home, Downing Street No. 10, is just over four kilometers from Kensington Palace. For Case, the new commute should not be a problem.
For Duchess Catherine’s husband, 38, it is likely to be a major change – especially in this turbulent year. With the resignation of Prince Harry, 35, and Duchess Meghan, 38, more obligations burden William's shoulders. Added to this is his new patronage, the reorganization of appointments from the home office during the pandemic and the homeschooling of his three children.
Sources used: Kensington Palace, Marie Claire
This article originally appeared on Gala.de.