King Charles and Late Queen Elizabeth's Private Secretary Quits After Being Criticized in Prince Harry Memoir

Sir Edward Young holds the distinction of serving two monarchs, Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III, during his tenure as Private Secretary to the Sovereign. The high-ranking position in the royal household comes with enormous responsibilities and privileges, such as acting as a liaison between the monarch and parliament and traveling with the king or queen.

Edward came to the role in 2017 and stayed on along with Sir Clive Alderton after the death of Elizabeth II in 2022 to guide Charles III in his early reign. However, the courtier quit his position after hearing criticism from Prince Harry in his tell-all book, Spare.

A source commenting on the Duke of Sussex's disdain for Edward claimed the secretary refused to find a suitable role for his wife, Meghan Markle, after she became a duchess in 2018. Long before his battle for police protection in court, the Duke blamed the confidante of the Sovereign for aiding in the stripping of the couple's security detail funded by British taxpayers, which also extends to Archie and Lilibet. The reality is that both were destined to lose the protection once they ceased being senior, working members of the royal family.

Harry nicknamed Edward "The Bee" in Spare and wrote of him, "The Bee was oval-faced and fuzzy and tended to glide around with great equanimity and poise, as if he was a boon to all living things. He was so poised that people didn't fear him. Big mistake. Sometimes their last mistake."

Despite accusations against his character by the Montecito royal, Sir Edward received many prestigious honors due to his fierce dedication to guiding two heads of state.

The private secretary's tenure also comes to an end following King Charles III's coronation, which fully signals the end of a new monarch's transition into their lifelong role.

Upon leaving office, Edward said, "I am honored to have served two sovereigns through historic times, and grateful for all the support and friendship of colleagues along the way."

The Mirror reported on Edward's quitting his position.