Kate’s top pick for private secretary declines job offer

A public relations guru poached by the Princess of Wales has reportedly declined accepting the job as her private secretary because “she didn’t want the publicity” that comes with such a high-profile position.

Alison Corfield, 51, has instead decided to keep working for celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, which would allow her to fly under the radar, The Telegraph UK reports.

Now, staff at Kensington Palace are having to search for a new candidate to work closely with Catherine in shaping her future role within the royal family.

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Last month it was revealed Corfield had been offered the position as the Princess of Wales’ private secretary.

The brand management expert was described as loud, persuasive and straight-talking.

At the time she was seen as “an unusual fit” with members of the royal family typically choosing their staff from from government departments and the civil service.

READ MORE: Kate visits supermarket to speak about children and emotions

But her appointment came out of a desire to hire more modern-thinkers and staff with private-sector experience.

Kate reportedly wanted “different kind of courtier” as she increases her public work as Princess of Wales.

So far this year she has launched the ambitious Shaping Us early years program which is her biggest project to date.

Corfield was chosen for her work in spearheading Oliver’s free school meals campaign, increasing awareness of food education in schools, reducing junk food advertising and introducing a sugar tax.

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But the high-profile nature of working for the Princess of Wales was a turn-off.

A source told the publication: “She decided she just wanted to keep her head down and get on with the job she knows so well in the background.

“She didn’t want the publicity that comes with working at that level for such a well-known institution.”

Kate’s last private secretary was Hannah Cockburn-Logie who stepped down soon after the death of Queen Elizabeth II for personal reasons.

She worked for the then-Duchess of Cambridge for two years, guiding Kate through the fallout from Prince Harry and Meghan’s departure and coronavirus pandemic lockdowns.

Cockburn-Logie was hired in May 2020 from her position as a diplomat at the British High Commission in India, impressing Prince William and Kate during their tour of India and Bhutan in 2016.

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