The Prince of Wales reportedly gave a member of staff a "piece of his mind". Photo / AP
The Prince of Wales reportedly gave a member of staff a "piece of his mind". Photo / AP
The resignation of Sir Christopher Geidt was no simple resignation. It allegedly resulted in both Megxit and a firey exchange between Prince William and one of the Queen's most senior advisors.
Geidt, now known as Lord Geidt, is a former military intelligence officer who loyally served Queen Elizabeth II for 15 years as her private secretary. However, that all come to an end when he was sensationally forced to quit.
His forceful resignation came in 2017 after a falling out with King Charles and Prince Andrew, the Daily Mail reports, and it provoked some strong feelings from the now-Prince of Wales.
The news outlet has reported Prince William was so angry about the Palace coup, he allegedly gave the most senior official of the late Queen "a piece of his mind".
In journalist Valentine Low's new book, Courtiers, the journalist claimed William was so angry about the "unkind" way Lord Geidt was treated that he spoke to the monarch's head of household - the then-Lord Chamberlain, Earl Peel.
Sir Christopher Geidt was forced to resign in 2017. Photo / Getty Images
A source was quoted in Low's book as saying, "William was furious. He spoke to his grandmother and father. He felt Christopher had worked to modernise the institution and bring it closer together. He was concerned about the way it had been handled, and how Christopher had been treated.
"He was really angry about it, not necessarily because it was the wrong decision. He just thought it was handled very unkindly for a man who was a pillar of the institution of the monarchy, but had also played an incredibly important role when the coalition government had been formed."
The source went on to say, "[Prince William] told Willy [Lord] Peel how he felt about it, and particularly how he felt about the way in which it had been conducted, which he thought was very unkind."
Lord Geidt and King Charles once had a good relationship - however, it disintegrated over time due to many disagreements, including Lord Geidt believing Charles' interest in buying an 18th-century estate in south-west Scotland as an HQ for his charity would leave the then-heir to the throne financially exposed.
As for his relationship with Prince Andrew, the Daily Mail reported the disgraced prince held a grudge against Lord Geidt because he assisted in sidelining Andrew from family duties.
One of those family duties was the palace balcony appearance in 2012 at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Andrew was not asked to join the family for the traditional appearance.
Low claims in his book that Andrew was very "worked up" about the exclusion, and reportedly told an aide, "You've got to speak to Christopher Geidt. I want to be on that balcony. We've worked really hard all year supporting the Queen. It's outrageous."
Lord Geidt's departure reportedly paved the way for Harry and Meghan's shock exit from the Royal Family. Photo / AP
Sources have since told the Daily Mail that Lord Geidt's demise left a huge hole in the Palace staff – most noticeably in dealings between the Queen's office and other family members – that it paved the way for Harry and Meghan's shock departure from the Royal Family.
In Low's book, a source claimed, "When you were having a conversation with Christopher, you pretty much knew he did not have to go and check. Either he knew that that was what the Queen thought, or it is what she would want anyway, because he was just so entwined in her thinking."
While a source told the Daily Mail this week, "Christopher's effective sacking came as a great shock, and many hold the view that had he still been around, the Megxit debacle would not have happened.
"He had his finger on the pulse, and people believe he would have found a way to pre-empt the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's departure, or at least found a way to make things work more amicably."
Lord Geidt began working for Buckingham Palace in 2002 and soon climbed the ranks. The Daily Mail reports he was enormously successful at his job and would often stalk the corridors of the palace, becoming the "eyes and ears of the monarchy".
