Over the weekend (8 November), members of the royal family gathered at the Royal Albert Hall for the annual Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance — a moving event marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

This year’s ceremony was hosted by Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham and featured performances by Sir Rod Stewart, Sam Ryder and Keala Settle, accompanied by the Central Band of the RAF, the RAF Squadronaires and the Band of HM Royal Marines.

Among those in attendance were King Charles III, Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales with Prince George, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. The crowd stood as the family entered to a fanfare by trumpeters and took their seats in the royal box for the evening’s service.

Kate’s Elegant Look — and the Photo That Sparked Curiosity

Sitting beside her eldest son, Kate Middleton looked elegant in a black Alessandra Rich dress with a white collar, accessorized with an HMS Glasgow brooch and earrings that once belonged to the late Queen. Her outfit was completed with a handmade poppy crafted from silk and glass by Izzy Ager of Lock & Co., a recent graduate of the Royal School of Needlework.

After the event, the royal family’s official Instagram account shared photos from the evening — but one image in particular caught fans’ attention. In it, a man standing just behind Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, appeared to be looking directly at the Princess of Wales.

Within hours, royal watchers were abuzz online.
“Who’s the guy staring at Catherine?” one person asked. Another added, “He looks like her bodyguard.” Others speculated that he might be “the Princess’s private secretary.”

The Mystery Solved: Kate’s Private Secretary

The man in question is Lieutenant Colonel Tom White, Kate Middleton’s private secretary.

Lt Col White first joined the royal household in 2020 as the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Squire — notably becoming the first Royal Marines commando ever to hold the position. He remained in the role until the Queen’s passing in 2022, after which he transitioned to working with the Prince and Princess of Wales.

He was also spotted accompanying Kate at Wimbledon earlier this year. His appointment came after the departure of Kate’s former private secretary, Hannah Cockburn-Logie, in late 2022.

Within the royal household, the private secretary plays a key behind-the-scenes role similar to a chief of staff — managing diaries, overseeing engagements, preparing briefings, and ensuring that every aspect of a royal’s schedule runs seamlessly. They are also present at major public appearances, discreetly positioned nearby to assist and monitor interactions.

So while the internet may have been intrigued by the “mystery man” in the royal box, his presence was anything but mysterious. Lieutenant Colonel Tom White was simply doing his job — quietly keeping the Princess of Wales’s day running exactly as it should.