A who's who of Prince William's closest counsellors

Prince William
Joshua Neicho10 April 2012

Three weeks ago the dashing historian and MP Tristram Hunt argued that to ensure the future success of the monarchy, Prince William needs to define himself as his own person, distancing himself from the wastefulness and the 'anti-enlightenment sensibility'of his father. One of Hunt's most intriguing suggestions was that William should broaden the social diversity of his courtiers by introducing open internships. We can't see that ever happening, but William does have a more varied inner circle than any monarch before him, having gathered an array of broad-minded advisers from the fields that most interest him. The court of our future king may not be as florid as that of a Renaissance princeling, there is no place for slick back-stabbers or sycophants, but it is colourful nonetheless...

The philanthropist

Barty Pleydell-Bouverie
Barty, 29, was housemates at Oxford with William's Sandhurst friend Joanna Dyer, who was killed in Basra in 2007. He enthused William with his 2008 Cycle of Life idea - a 5,000-mile trek from Botswana to Kenya - which linked up Charlie Mayhew's Tusk Trust and homeless charity Centrepoint (William is a patron of both). This led to another project last year, Up 4 Africa, in which four homeless youngsters were paired with African people to build a wildlife sanctuary in Botswana, and Barty is currently planning a collaboration involving injured soldiers and Africa. A cousin of the Earl of Radnor, he had his life turned upside-down when his elder brother was mauled to death by lions in Zimbabwe 12 years ago, and has devoted himself to African causes ever since. In the past few years he has juggled fundraising with obtaining a neuroscience doctorate from Oxford. He is known for his enthusiasm and for being calm in a crisis. Friends anticipate him taking up some kind of role in public life soon.

The daredevil

Olly Hicks
The shaggy and enigmatic adventurer was introduced to William through Newcastle university contemporary James Meade. Inspired by an arduous Atlantic crossing made by two fishermen, he competed in various endurance events before becoming the first person to row from the US to Britain in 2005 (a dream realised with the help of Virgin sponsorship, secured through Branson's daughter Holly), with William there to greet him at the finish. Brought up in Islington, the son of solicitors, he went to Harrow school, where he became pals with royal confidants, the van Straubenzees. The 29 year-old's most recent exploit, an 18-month row around Antarctica with only one stopover, had to be abandoned after 96 days due to problems with the boat. A second attempt is being planned for later this year. A hero to young explorer types, his endurance feats may baffle some, but they seem a good fit for William and the daunting career that faces him.

The wild bunch

The Craig family
We all know that William used to hold a torch for the lovely Jecca Craig, now 28; but it is William's attachment to the Craig family as a whole that's important. Jecca's father Ian, 60, is a conservationist whose grandfather began raising cattle at Lewa Downs in Kenya in 1924. In 1995 the farm was converted into a wildlife conservancy, which William visited three times on his gap year and which has since become a sanctuary for him and friends like Thomas van Straubenzee. Ian is also behind the Northern Rangelands Trust, an initiative bringing together 18 communities to restore two million acres of land which was once the heart of big game country, with elephant and rhino all shot out by the 1990s. Hearing Ian preach the gospel of conservation has had a major influence on William, drawing him to the Tusk Trust and other community-orientated charities. William has also developed a strong friendship with Ian's son, Will.

The war cabinet

Holly Dyer and comrades
William has often talked of his disappointment at not having served on the front line in Afghanistan. His respect for fallen friends and the 'indomitable spirit'of British forces has found expression in his support of various military charities, so much so that Help for Heroes co-founder Bryn Parry credits William with ensuring its success. Holly Dyer (Joanna's elder sister) was Bryn's PA after serving in the Royal Signals and has run in a series of events including the London Marathon and the Switzerland Ironman for her sister, H4H and other causes. Cavalry officer Rufus Gordon-Dean, 27, an entertaining Old Harrovian, was one of William's closest Sandhurst friends and is also a veteran of fundraising efforts including the Devizes-Westminster canoe race with Olly Hicks and a 125-mile walk from Devizes to London for fallen army comrades. Rufus and Holly met on last year's gruelling six-day Marathon des Sables in Morocco. Holly, now reading medicine at Nottingham, has remarked on the 'deliberately non-political'nature of William's military charity interests.

The hunky hack

Tom Bradby
Handsome and chivalrous, with a naughty sense of humour, Bradby, now ITV's political editor, won the Prince's trust over a series of lunches. And it paid off when he got the scoop of 2010 - William and Catherine's exclusive engagement interview. The son of a naval officer, Bradby, 44, was educated at Sherborne and Edinburgh university. He began his career as an ITN trainee and was appointed Royal correspondent in 2001. He lives in Hampshire with his wife, the jewellery designer Claudia Bradby (who collaborated on a necklace design with Kate Middleton) and their three children. Bradby has also found time to write six storming thrillers. 'There'll always be envy,'observes a Royal-watching rival, even of such a nice guy.

The dear diarist

Thea Garwood
William's private secretary Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton and his team are widely praised for their vigour and lack of stuffiness. This is especially true of 31-year-old Thea Garwood, appointed three years ago to organise the Prince's diary. A north Cornish girl who read French at Birmingham University, she was a popular figure on the expat scene when she worked as head of marketing and events at Quintessentially in Dubai. After two years she returned to the UK to become events manager for Prince Charles, helping organise the Diana 10th anniversary concert. Her no-nonsense style has helped her build an excellent rapport with the Prince, and she has entered into the Clarence House charitable spirit as a keen online fundraiser. She has recently got engaged to investment manager Edward Coley.

Man of the world

Willem Marx
If William needs someone to guide himthrough the maelstrom of modern international politics he could turn to Willem Marx, 28, Kate's supposed first love at Marlborough who, with a blend of discretion and bravado, enjoys good relations with both sides of the couple. He read classics at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford and was secretary of the Oxford Union. Before starting journalism school in New York, he interned for a US government contractor planting propaganda stories in the Baghdad press, as he later revealed in an article for American journal Harpers. He went into TV, producing a new show for legendary CBS anchor Dan Rather, and has since travelled the world reporting on and writing about trouble spots such as the Congo, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and most recently Libya. At one stage he went out with Isabella Rossellini's daughter Elettra.

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