The Courtier: Simon Case from Court to Cabinet

Olenka Hamilton | Issue 2 | Magazine

From the Archive

courtier

Can the man who positioned the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as the royal family’s greatest asset now rescue the beleaguered civil service?

In early 2018, Britain was in the throes of peak Meghan and Harry and all its accompanying storms. As their wedding approached, rumours abounded, including one regarding a rift between the Princes, which turned out to be true. Then came Megxit, the mother of all storms for the British monarchy. Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, rather than receding into the background or becoming targets of abuse by the press and the public, were thriving. Contrary to what might have been expected, William and Kate’s popularity went stratospheric. The couple were everywhere, doing all the right things. One day they were flying to Balmoral on a budget airline, the next they were stirring a Christmas pudding on telly with the adorable Mary Berry. The Cambridges’ Instagram account abounded with intimate photographs of their children at home “taken by the Duchess”. Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan were in the papers for flying a private jet to Elton John’s mansion in Nice. Some might say Will and Ka...

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