In a bid to “shake things up” at Kensington Palace, the Princess of Wales has reportedly brought in a new straight-talking public relations expert as her personal secretary.
Alice Corfield, a 51-year-old mother who directed campaigns against childhood obesity and free school meals for celebrity chef and restaurateur Jamie Oliver, will become Kate Middleton’s most senior aide. London’s Sunday Times reported.
Corfield, Oliver’s head of campaigns between 2015 and 2020, will replace Hannah Cockburn-Logie, who left the role last autumn after almost two-and-a-half years in the job.
“She’s a ball-breaker, a real straight-talker, very passionate, dynamic and genuinely funny. A source who worked with Corfield on Oliver’s campaigns told The Sunday Times that she gets things done and Really gets things moving in the palace.
Other royal sources described Corfield’s hiring as unorthodox but said he was in tune with efforts to restore Kensington Palace.
“Elisson is an exceptional fit,” said a royal source. “She is a bit out of place for Kensington Palace, but there is a move to hire more modern cars and people with private sector experience, not just civil servants. She’ll run around the courtiers and shake things up a bit.
“She’ll be a big breath of fresh air in Kensington Palace. She’s loud, lots of fun and full of energy and enthusiasm,” said another.
Corfield has also previously worked with Labor MP Stella Creasy on a campaign to recruit more mothers as Labor politicians, according to her LinkedIn page.
She reportedly grew up in Croydon, south London, and spent more than a decade climbing the corporate ladder at Richard Branson’s Virgin empire. She got her start as an airline stewardess for Virgin Atlantic in 1993, which she describes as “flying glamorously around the world as a member of the cabin crew”.
News of Corfield’s hiring comes a week after Middleton launched her Shaping Up campaign, which focuses on raising awareness of the importance of early childhood development.
Read full article here