Prince William has “taken one for the team” according to an ally after the Prime Minister poached his top aide.
According to Times Radio, the Prime Minister phoned the Duke of Cambridge and asked for permission to appoint Simon Case as the UK’s new Cabinet Secretary.
Mr Case, who is currently on a secondment to Downing Street, had always intended to return to Kensington Palace when his stint at No 10 ended.
However, Mr Johnson was keen for the 41-year-old to stay on and become Cabinet Secretary – the UK’s most senior civil servant.
Prior to his secondment, Mr Case was the Duke of Cambridge’s private secretary,
According to Times Radio’s Tom Newton Dunn, the Prime Minister had to convince Prince William and Mr Case himself to take up the role.
Mr Newton Dunn tweeted: “The Prime Minister owes the future king one, I hear.
“Boris Johnson had to ring Prince William personally last week to ask if he could pinch his man to be the new Cabinet Secretary.
“Highly rated Simon Case didn’t apply for the job, and wanted to return to Kensington Palace when his No10 secondment ended.
“Instead, Boris appealed to Case to insist the country (and he) needed him, and asked the same of William.
“I’m also told William – who had hoped Case would get him to the throne one day as his long serving Private Secretary – took it “very well” and immediately agreed.
“An ally of the prince says he is ‘taking one for the team’, adding: ‘How can anyone not be supportive given the scale of the challenge coming’?”
Simon Case was Prince William’s right-hand man for two years and replaces Sir Mark Sedwill as Cabinet Secretary.
