5 days Ago By Ben Jureidini
Theo Rycroft is already a diplomat of great renown; and now Buckingham Palace has made him a very significant ally. His wife, the Hon Flora Astor, is a scion of one of the world’s most monumental dynasties (and the half-sister of ), and has already crowned the couple one of the nation’s most powerful couples. No wonder, then, that King Charles has named the former legal advisor to the Prime Minister as his deputy private secretary.
As one of the most senior members of the King’s inner circle, Rycroft will wield great influence over Buckingham Palace. Considered a ‘gatekeeper’ to the sovereign, private secretaries are a bastion of good advice and wise counsel to their monarch – in matters both and, well, private. (Think, perhaps, of how Lord Fellowes guided the late Queen Elizabeth through the death of .
) And Rycroft has already proven himself a key powerbroker for the Firm. Eagle-eyed royal watchers may well have spotted him accompanying to Notre Dame, when the future king reunited with Donald Trump at the grand re-opening of the ancient cathedral. For that excursion to France, Rycroft was acting in his position as the Deputy chief of Mission in , though no doubt he was rehearsing for his new appointment in February.
But who is Theo Rycroft, and how did he come to be one of the nation’s most influential men? Through hard work and political nous, no doubt – though it never hurts to marry an Astor. The legendary , once one of the world’s wealthiest, made their name in Manhattan’s fur trade, before dealing in . Flora’s mother, Lady Annabel Astor, who rules over high society interiors as the chief executive of Oka, is also the mother of Samantha Cameron, wife and former first lady to Lord Cameron.
Samantha is the elder of the half sisters, Annabel’s daughter through her first marriage to Sir Reginald Sheffield, while Flora’s father is Annabel’s second husband – William Waldorf Astor III. It was William’s namesake who established the British branch of the Astor family tree, buying up two of the nation’s grandest statelies – Cliveden (yes, of Literary Festival and Profumo fame), and Hever Castle. But when Theo and Flora aren’t jetsetting their way around diplomatic circles, you’ll probably find the pair at the 17th-Century country pile in Languedoc-Rousillon with their three children.
Rycroft’s new job does, alas, mean he may have to forgo hosting dinner parties at The Gatehouse at the British Embassy in Paris. Wherever this new job takes the couple, Flora Astor has certainly inherited her mother's impeccable taste, decking out her with plenty of Oka designs. The sprawling home has been an important base for the family, what with Theo's international obligations.
‘[W]e’re lucky we’ve got this place,’ she told back in 2013, ‘I feel grounded and the children feel they have a home.’ Flora’s day job is just as dazzling as her husband’s. While Oxford graduate Theo has served in the diplomatic service since 2009 – with roles including EU director, legal advisor to the PM, and head of international law at the office of the Attorney General – Flora works as a private jeweller from her workshop in Hatton Garden.
Theo Rycroft will be taking over from Chris Fitzgerald, who guided the King through his accession to the throne after the death of the late Queen Elizabeth. ‘Chris has been an exceptional senior member of The King’s team throughout the change of reign and will be sorely missed,’ an insider told . ‘But Theo is a terrific appointment, bringing a wealth of experience from his time in Paris – not least helping with the phenomenal success of Their Majesties’ crucial State Visit to France and ’s recent meeting with President Trump.
’ As deputy private secretary, Rycroft will be working closely with the current Private Secretary to the King – Sir Clive Alderton, who replaced the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Private Secretary, Sir Edward Young, when the King came to the throne last September. As the most important member of the office, Sir Clive has been a trusted adviser to the King and Queen since 2006. He is known for his love of culture, his sense of humour and his fierce intelligence.
According to , he’s known in Palace corridors as a ‘hatchet man’ for his immense ability to deliver bad . He’s also been described in as a ‘culture vulture’, with a particular aptitude for socialising. ‘He can socialise late into the night and get up first thing in the morning fresh as a daisy,’ the publication wrote.
And Rycroft will certainly have to be on his sharpest form when he takes up the office in February. King Charles and Queen Camilla are not only expected to take on a full host of international state visits in the new year, but with making headlines, and still appearing firmly estranged, the royal household has plenty of internal to be dealing with, too. Luckily, in Theo Rycroft, the King has placed a savvy secretary by his right-hand side.
readers, of course, will have seen this coming since August...
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