The Princess of Wales is ‘likely’ planning to hire the late Queen’s former equerry as her new private secretary, it has been claimed.
Kate Middleton, 41, reportedly asked Lt Col Tom White to join her at a public engagement so he can understand what the job involves before deciding whether to take it on.
The father, 36, is a war hero who served in Afghanistan and helped prevent a school bombing in Helmand, before serving as Queen Elizabeth II’s equerry until her death.
A source told The Telegraph that Lt Col White has not yet been formally appointed as the mother-of-three’s private secretary, but he is ‘likely’ to be offered the job.
Kate has been without a private secretary for more than a year, after her previous employee Hannah Cockburn-Logie departed the role for ‘personal reasons’ in 2022.
Kate Middleton, 41, reportedly asked Lt Col Tom White to join her at a public engagement so he can understand what the job involves before deciding whether to take it on
The father, 36, is a war hero who served in Afghanistan and helped prevent a school bombing in Helmand, before serving as Queen Elizabeth II’s equerry until her death
Typically, Kensington Palace employs private office staff from the Civil Service, government departments or promotes from within its own households.
Lt Col White’s appointment would be unusual for a number of reasons, including that he would be the first man to take the highly coveted position.
It had previously been widely reported that ‘straight-talking’ brand management expert Alison Corfield was lined-up to take the role.
Instead, it appears Kensington Palace has taken a different approach, perhaps hinting at a return to tradition for the royal household.
This could also be the Wales’ cementing closer ties with the military – and Prince William’s late grandmother.
Lt Col White joined Buckingham Palace in 2020 as the late Queen’s equerry – a role which required him to remain at the monarch’s side through her final years.
He joined the Royal Marines in 2007 and has extensive experience with the elite commando force, with one source previously describing him as one of the best Royal Marines officers they had ever met.
A source told The Telegraph that Lt Col White has not yet been formally appointed as the mother-of-three’s private secretary, but he is ‘likely’ to be offered the job
Kate has been without a private secretary for more than a year, after her previous employee Hannah Cockburn-Logie departed the role for ‘personal reasons’ in 2022
Lt Col White joined Buckingham Palace in 2020 as the late Queen’s equerry – a role which required him to remain at the monarch’s side through her final years
The father previously served as the military assistant to Major General Matt Holmes, commandant general of the Royal Marines and has also completed a posting at Navy Command in Portsmouth.
He also helped avert tragedy in Helmand in 2009 as a member of 42 Commando, after the Taliban rigged up an explosive booby trap in a school.
Wires for the device, which was set to be triggered by a pressure plate that would go off when the padlocked school room door was broken down, were spotted by the elite force in the nick of time.
Then aged 22, Lieutenant White, who was 7 Troop’s commander, said: ‘It turns your stomach to think what could have happened if we hadn’t found the bombs. These people knew they could have blown a lot of kids sky high – and they didn’t care.
The Princess of Wales’s last private secretary took on the role in May 2020, and held the position for two years before stepping back for ‘personal reasons’ in 2022
‘I have quite a low opinion of someone who would bomb a school. They don’t value young life at all.’
Lt Col White was seen attending the Princess of Wales’s early years symposium at the Design Museum in London last week.
The Princess of Wales’s last private secretary took on the role in May 2020, and held the position for two years before stepping back for ‘personal reasons’ in 2022.
A Kensington Palace source said: ‘Hannah is a fantastic, dynamic leader. Loyal and a skilled diplomat.’
Kate has been without a private secretary since, but has been accompanied by her assistant private secretary Natalie Barrows on a number of engagements and tours.