Prince William is set to hire a former British diplomat to help with his royal workload.
The Prince of Wales has appointed ex-diplomat, Ian Patrick, as his private secretary as William returns to royal duties.
Patrick previously worked for former Liberal Democrat leader Lord Paddy Ashdown.
The appointment is part of a restructuring to support the Prince and the Princess of Wales.
William appoints a new private secretary
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Part of the changes to the Kensington Palace team, which were put in place before the King’s diagnosis, is to appoint William and Kate with their own private secretaries.
The prince took a short period of time away from public engagements to look after his wife, Kate, following her abdominal operation.
Following the King's cancer diagnosis, it has been questioned what role William will take to support his father.
It has been reported that the prince will take on select public duties on behalf of the King, but the monarch has not specifically asked his son to stand in for him.
Prince William has been caring for his wife, Kate, at their home Adelaide CottageGettyPatrick has also worked for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office as a geopolitical consultant.
He spent eight years in the Foreign Office and worked in Bosnia and Herzegovina in international peacekeeping for four of these years.
The ex-diplomat was awarded an MBE in the 2006 New Years Honours List for his work in Bosnia.
Prince William returned to work on Wednesday this week as he handed out honours at an investiture at Windsor Castle and attended a charity gala in London.
Prince William attended a charity gala on Wednesday
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Prince William's new private secretary is part of a restructuring of palace staff
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At the charity gala, Prince William made a speech where he expressed his thanks for messages of support for princess Kate and the King following their recent health concerns.
William said: “I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you, also, for the kind messages of support for Catherine and for my father, especially in recent days. It means a great deal to us all.”
William attended the London Air Ambulance Gala at Raffles, a luxurious hotel in London, where he brushed shoulders with Hollywood star Tom Cruise.
Patrick is also on the Board of Trustees for Crohn’s & Colitis UK, a charity for people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
