As Buckingham Palace begins an "open and rigorous" search to replace Sir Clive Alderton, renewed attention has fallen on King Charles' past association with Jimmy Savile. Reports say Savile once had unusually free access to royal circles and was informally involved during marital difficulties between Charles and Princess Diana. Savile died in 2011; later investigations exposed the widespread sexual offenses he committed. The accounts cited are based on media reporting and recollections from former aides.
Palace Search Rekindles Scrutiny Over King Charles' Past Ties To Jimmy Savile
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Renewed attention has focused on King Charles after reports that Jimmy Savile once enjoyed unusually close access to the royal household — a spotlight that has been cast again as Buckingham Palace begins an "open and rigorous" search for a new principal private secretary following Sir Clive Alderton's planned departure.
Details Of The Reports
RadarOnline.com published accounts saying Savile, the now-disgraced television personality, was able to move through royal circles with an uncommon degree of freedom and could speak directly to Charles. Those reports rely on unnamed sources inside the royal household and recollections from former aides.
How The Relationship Is Described
According to the reporting, Charles and Savile first met in the late 1970s through involvement with wheelchair sports charities. Their association reportedly became familiar enough for Savile to attend Charles' 40th birthday in 1988. The outlet also reports that Savile met Sir Christopher Airy before Airy became Charles' private secretary in 1990.
"Savile had a remarkable level of access to the royal world during that period," an anonymous palace source told the outlet. The source added that Charles may have been amused by Savile's unconventional manner.
Alleged Involvement During Marital Troubles
The reports say Savile was informally brought in by aides during serious strains in Charles' marriage to Princess Diana around 1990. Dickie Arbiter, a former press secretary to Queen Elizabeth II who worked with Charles and Diana, described Savile's role as an informal attempt to help: "Savile was brought in by an aide as a sort of 'Jim'll Fix It' to fix the state of the marriage," Arbiter said, adding that it "didn't work." Ken Wharfe, a former protection officer for Diana, recalled that Savile would sometimes turn up at royal events unannounced.
Reports also say Charles maintained some contact with Savile after the early 1990s: he accepted an invitation to dinner at Savile's home in Glencoe in 1999 and later sent him a Christmas card.
Context And Aftermath
Jimmy Savile died in 2011 at age 84. In the years following his death, police investigations and inquiries identified hundreds of victims and revealed the extensive scale of his sexual offending. Charles later said he felt "incredibly saddened" by Savile's death.
These accounts are presented as reports and recollections; they have not been the subject of new official findings. Buckingham Palace has described the recruitment for the new principal private secretary as an "open and rigorous" process.
What To Watch
As the palace proceeds with the staff change, journalists and commentators are revisiting archival claims about past royal contacts and the way access to the royal household was managed decades ago.
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