Both internal and external candidates will be considered for the role

Sir Clive Alderton, who serves as Principal Private Secretary to the King and Queen, has announced he will leave his position next year after two decades with the Royal Household.

Over the course of 11 years in his current post, Sir Clive steered the household through King Charles's accession to the throne in 2022.

Buckingham Palace revealed the news today as it prepares to launch a thorough and open recruitment process to find his replacement.

The Duke of Sussex is believed to have referred to Sir Clive as "The Wasp" in his controversial memoir, Spare.

Both internal and external candidates will be considered for the role.

In a message addressed to colleagues this afternoon, Sir Clive said: "It has been the greatest imaginable honour to serve The King and Queen in my present role through such historic times and with unforgettable humour along the way.

"That support will continue, in a less formal capacity, for all of my life."

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said Their Majesties are "deeply grateful to Clive for his tireless support and wise counsel over the years, and for the enduring loyalty that will ensure a smooth transition to his successor".

Sir Clive has pledged to remain committed to ensuring a seamless handover to whoever takes on the position.

His time in post saw him guide King Charles's journey from Prince of Wales to sovereign, encompassing both the accession and the Coronation held on 6 May 2023.

He led the Palace's response to the King's cancer diagnosis and managed the royal programme around it, while also steering state visits including the recent trip to see Donald Trump in America.

Beyond those milestones, he navigated two of the monarchy's most difficult 21st-century episodes: the Sussexes' departure and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to Jeffrey Epstein.

Buckingham Palace will now begin a formal search for his replacement, with candidates expected from across the public and private sectors alongside internal contenders.

Those close to Sir Clive have paid tribute to his commitment, with one friend quipping that he would soon be spending "more time with his own family, rather than the Royal Family".

His legacy, they said, would be defined by the "extremely effective" management of the handover between reigns, a period once viewed as a moment of genuine peril for the institution following the end of Elizabeth II's long reign.