Alison Corfield: who is the Princess of Wales’ new “ball-breaker” aide?
The Princess of Wales has hired a new private secretary who comes with a formidable reputation, an impressive CV and boundless energy to boot.
Alison Corfield, a 51-year-old PR guru and mother of three, will start her role later this month. She will replace Hannah Cockburn-Logie, who resigned from the role in September 2022.f
Stellar CV
Corfield, who grew up in Croydon, South London was educated at a convent school before leaving with nine GCSEs.
She now boasts a completely stellar CV, although her early career was fairly modest: she started as cabin crew for Virgin Atlantic. She worked her way up through the company over 13 years – ultimately becoming Brand Director of Virgin Media.
Corfield is no stranger to working for high profile people having worked with Labour MP Stella Creasy on a campaign, MotheRED, which sought to recruit more mums to the party. She was Jamie Oliver’s Head of Campaigns for five years between 2015 and 2020 and according to LinkedIn, she is currently delivering the inaugural Jamie Oliver Good School Food Awards which will launch in late February as well as Oliver’s campaign for Free School Meals.
Formidable reputation
It has been widely reported that, according to royal insiders, Corfield is a “ball-breaker” and a “straight talker”, set to be a “breath of fresh air” around Kensington Palace.
A previous colleague described her as “unique” and in possession of an “amazing sense of humour”.
Break with tradition
Royals usually recruit aides from government departments so Corfield’s appointment is seen as a break with tradition, given her career has been in the private sector.
A palace source told The Sunday Times, “Alison is an unusual fit. She is a bit out there for Kensington Palace, but there is a move to recruit more modernisers and people with private sector experience, not just civil servants. She will run rings around the courtiers and shake things up a bit.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales Family Album - In pictures
The to-do list
There is much speculation that Corfield has been hired to boost the princess’s image following the release of Prince Harry’s explosive memoir, Spare, which claims she “shouted” at Meghan not to mention that Kate, along with William, “howled” with laughter at his infamous Nazi dress-up costume.
However, there are plenty of more tangible tasks the new aide will be cracking on with.
The princess has just unveiled her new Shaping Us initiative which highlights the importance of childhood early years – something she has said is her ‘life’s work’.
“The campaign is fundamentally about shining a spotlight on the critical importance of early childhood and how it shapes the adults we become,” she said during her speech at the Shaping Us launch last week.
“During this time we lay the foundations and building blocks for life... This is why it is essential, to not only understand the unique importance of our earliest years, but to know what we can all do to help raise future generations of happy, healthy adults.”
Who else is in Kate’s team?
Kate has form for hiring women – as a glimpse at her current team proves. There’s her children’s nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, who has worked for the family since Prince George, now nine, was a baby and is said to be teaching her charges Spanish. Then there’s Natasha Archer, the stylist who helps the princess look immaculate for public appearances but who was originally hired as a PA in 2007.
Natalie Barrows is her Assistant Private Secretary, which means she oversees schedules and organises travel among other things including ensuring Kate is briefed on who she will meet at public events. Meanwhile hairdresser Amanda Cook Tucker is in charge of styling Kate’s world-famous tresses.
