Prince William's former private secretary, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, has disclosed the three-word instruction the future king issued to him before his wedding to Catherine Middleton, an order that left the military veteran feeling 'petrified'.
Lowther-Pinkerton, who served as private secretary to both Prince William and Prince Harry from 2005 to 2013, shared the details of the command in an interview with The Times. He recalled that William told him, 'You're running it,' referring to the planning and execution of the 2011 royal wedding at Westminster Abbey.
'I was petrified because he said to me early on, 'You're running it.' And it's the closest I'll ever get to a divisional command because you had all these brilliant experts and you didn't need to do anything,' Lowther-Pinkerton said. 'You just needed to set the parameters and let people do what they were so bloody good at.'
A Former Aide Reflects on the Royal Couple
Despite the immense pressure of delivering a flawless wedding for the future monarch and his bride, Lowther-Pinkerton described the event as 'great' and praised William for having 'chosen well' in Kate. He noted that the couple are perfectly matched, reminding him of his own parents.
Lowther-Pinkerton, who is also Prince George's godfather, became well acquainted with Catherine during his tenure. He described her as a 'really cool woman' and recounted a recent encounter in Suffolk during an official engagement last year. 'She greeted me warmly with a kiss,' he said. 'I was so embarrassed, I nearly headbutted her. I didn't know if I should be bowing. It was so sweet of her.'
Working with the Princes
Lowther-Pinkerton entered the lives of William and Harry when the former was 22 and the latter 20. He described both brothers as 'brave guys' and admitted he 'loved them both.' He noted that William possessed natural leadership qualities, while Harry was 'more of a mischievous cub, scampering around.'
When asked about the well-documented rift between the brothers in recent years, Lowther-Pinkerton indicated he would prefer to stay away from the subject. However, he made clear that he remains 'very fond' of Harry and firmly believes he has 'huge redeeming features.'
A Varied Career
Lowther-Pinkerton, now 65, has enjoyed a remarkably varied career following his service with the Royal Family and his previous role as an SAS soldier. He has added novelist to his list of accomplishments, with his debut book, Beyond the Edge of Light, set to be published next month.
