Team Wales
This week, let us take a look at the people who help keep their professional and personal lives running smoothly.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have enjoyed a short break from their duties as their children were on break from school. They will be back this week, so I thought it would be the perfect time to introduce you all to some of the people that join them on their engagements and those who work behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly!
P.s. Most of this information is from my dear friend Emma’s blog, The Cambridge Court. She is an expert on everything that has to do with the Wales’s household. Go check her blog out!
Professional Staff
The most senior members of William and Catherine’s staff are their private secretaries. William’s private secretary is the Head of their household, while Catherine’s private secretary is Deputy Head. The Prince of Wales’s current private secretary, Jean-Christophe Gray, joined the household in February 2021. Mr. Gray previously worked as an official spokesperson for former Prime Minister David Cameron and as a Director at HM Treasury.
According to an article by The Times, ‘JC,’ as he is known to The Prince and others, “has a reputation as Whitehall’s most assiduous bean counter.” By bean counter, they mean “a person involved in corporate or government financial decisions and especially one reluctant to spend money.”
Hannah Cockburn-Logie joined The Princess of Wales’s staff as her private secretary in May 2020 during the pandemic. Prior to this position, Ms. Cockburn-Logie spent decades at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
In 2016, she helped organize and accompanied William and Catherine on their tour to India and Bhutan. Having also organized several other prime ministerial visits to India, Hannah received an OBE in 2017, which followed her MVO (Royal Victorian Order) given to her nine years earlier for her role in organizing Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to Slovenia in 2008.
Unlike The Princess’s former private secretaries, Hannah rarely accompanies Catherine on her day-to-day engagements. That job has instead now fallen into the hands of Natalie Barrows, Catherine’s Assistant Private Secretary. Natalie has been by The Princess of Wales’s side for almost 5.5 years, having taken up the position in June 2017.
The Prince of Wales also has an Assistant Private Secretary; in fact, he has three. Laura Baker has been part of The Prince of Wales’ staff since the Fall of 2016, while Genevieve McCarthy joined the same position three years later in 2019. The most recent addition to the trio of The Prince’s Assistant Private Secretaries, Louis Reynolds, assumed his role in September 2022 (which must have certainly been an interesting time in the Household).
Additionally, The Prince of Wales also has an equerry, Luitenant Commander Rob Dixon. Lieutenant Dixon usually accompanies The Prince to engagements related to the military, but he can also be seen at other engagements, such as attending the Platinum Jubilee Pageant with The Wales Family.
Personal Staff
Along with the people who work side by side with them on their professional projects, others are working with them at home and taking care of their personal matters. Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo is probably the most recognizable name/face among royals fans. Having studied at Norland College, a school specializing in childcare, Maria became the family’s nanny in 2014, shortly before they embarked on their tour of Australia and New Zealand with a 9-month-old Prince George.
Nanny Maria is the only nanny George, Charlotte, and Louis have had (besides William’s former nanny, Jessie Webb, who helped out with George before they employed Maria). She lived with the family at Kensington Palace and Anmer Hall, but their move to Adelaide Cottage marks the first time she will not live with them.
I love how they treat her like family and how she clearly loves the children. I think William only had one of his many nannies that lasted eight years, like Maria has, so it is nice to know she helps give the kids stability. This video shows her welcoming Princess Charlotte back from a visit to Wales in June 2022 with a kiss.
The couple have three personal assistants: Natasha Jackson, Clare Haldane (deputy), and Jamie Earlam (deputy). The second most recognized name is likely Natasha Jackson, who has been The Prince and Princess of Wales’s personal assistant since 2010.
People often call her Catherine’s stylist, but that has never been her official title. I think people just assumed that because she is likely the one who makes the calls and places orders for clothes etc. Fun Fact: Natasha is married to one of the best and my favorite royal photographer, Chris Jackson.
It is unclear if she still works for The Princess of Wales, but for many years Amanda Cook-Tucker did Catherine’s hair for tours and high-profile events.
Finally, I’m sure they have some more housekeepers who help around, but Antonella Fresolone has been a staple in their home since 2013. When William and Catherine decamped to the Middleton Home right after Prince George was born, Antonella also went with them.
I only covered the more prominent people on their team but of course there are much more (such as their communications team who I could rant about forever)!
Next week I’ll be covering “The Crown” and it’s controversies before the fifth season premieres on Netflix. You won’t want to miss it! Make sure to tell your friends to subscribe as well since the more people who know how problematic the show is, the better.