The Prince of Wales has discreetly appointed two of his closest friends, Harry Aubrey-Fletcher and William van Cutsem, to positions at his Duchy of Cornwall estate.
The latest royal accounts for the Duchy, which traditionally provides the heir to the throne with an annual private income, reveal that Harry is now a member of the Prince’s Council. This council offers “invaluable expertise and experience to the Duchy as recognized leaders in their varying fields.”
A brief profile in the documents describes Harry as managing a group of rural businesses across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, and West Sussex.
He also founded the residential development business Carden Group PLC. Harry is the son of Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, the Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, and served as an usher at Prince William’s 2011 wedding to Kate Middleton. Harry was later chosen as a godparent to William and Kate’s third child, Prince Louis, born in April 2018.
William van Cutsem was appointed as an advisor to the Prince’s Council in September 2022. He is a Chartered Surveyor specializing in commercial property, having begun his career at Savills before co-founding his own company, Pigeon. William grew up on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk and has been a close friend of the Prince since childhood.
Prince William served as an usher at William van Cutsem’s 2013 wedding to Rosie Ruck Keene, and William was named a godparent to Prince George, William and Kate’s first child, born shortly after his wedding.
As stated in the Duchy’s accounts, Prince William, who is also the Duke of Cornwall, personally appoints members of The Prince’s Council.
