Prince William's ex-private secretary named as UK's top civil servant

1 September 2020, 12:09 | Updated: 1 September 2020, 13:35

The Prime Minister has appointed Simon Case as Cabinet Secretary and head of the Civil Service, the Cabinet Office has confirmed.

The 41-year-old will succeed Sir Mark Sedwill, who announced in June that he would be standing down.

Mr Case, a former private secretary to the Duke of Cambridge, takes on the job as the country's top civil servant as the shake-up of Whitehall under Boris Johnson and adviser Dominic Cummings continues.

He will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day running of the Government and joining it up with the Prime Minister's policy priorities.

His appointment follows five departures of senior civil servants this year alone, under the so-called "hard rain" overhaul reportedly orchestrated by Mr Cummings, Mr Johnson's de facto chief of staff.

The Prime Minister said: "Simon will make a fantastic Cabinet Secretary and head of the Civil Service.

"His years of experience at the heart of government and working for the royal household make him ideally suited for this crucial role.

"I would also like to thank Mark Sedwill for his outstanding service to the Government and the country as a whole.

"After serving for decades with great distinction, I believe he has earned the gratitude of the nation."

Mr Case said the appointment was "an honour" and praised his predecessor for the "kindness and support" shown to him during his career.

"Over these few months of working on the Covid response, I have seen how much hard work is being done by the civil service to support the government and our country through unprecedented times," he said.

"It is a privilege to come into this role to lead a service that is working day in, day out to deliver for people right across the country."

He will formally take up the post on September 9, when Sir Mark stands down.