EXCLUSIVE: King Charles' Alleged Ties to Serial Predator Resurface Amid Palace Shake-Up
King Charles' ties to a serial predator resurfaced amid a Palace shake-up.
Aug. 14 2026, Published 6:45 a.m. ET
King Charles is facing renewed scrutiny over his alleged past relationship with serial predator Jimmy Savile – including claims the disgraced entertainer was consulted before the appointment of one of the royal's most senior aides.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the historic connection has resurfaced as Buckingham Palace searches for 77-year-old Charles' next Principal Private Secretary following news Sir Clive Alderton, 59, is preparing to leave the role.
Unprecedented Access Inside Royal Circles
King Charles faced scrutiny over his past connection with Jimmy Savile.
While the palace has promised an "open and rigorous" recruitment process for his successor, the shake-up recalls a very different era when Charles reportedly sought Savile's advice before Sir Christopher Airy – who died last April aged 91 – became his private secretary in 1990.
A source familiar with the royal household at the time said Savile enjoyed an extraordinary degree of access – and was treated as an unconventional confidant rather than simply a celebrity acquaintance.
The source exclusively told Radar: "Savile had a remarkable level of access to the royal world during that period. He wasn't treated simply as another television personality who occasionally appeared at an official engagement – he could come and go with a familiarity that would have been extremely unusual for somebody outside the established royal circle.
"Everything about him was unconventional. He would appear in the flashy jewelry and tracksuits that had become his trademark, and that made him completely different from the carefully dressed officials and courtiers who normally surrounded Charles. There was a sense that Charles found that difference entertaining and perhaps even refreshing.
"Savile also occupied a peculiar position because he wasn't constrained by the normal rules and sensitivities of palace life. He could be far more direct with Charles than many members of the royal household would ever have dared to be.
"Courtiers had positions to protect and protocol to observe, whereas Savile could offer opinions in his own blunt and eccentric fashion. In that respect, he was almost like the fool in King Lear – somebody on the outside who was granted unusual freedom to say uncomfortable or provocative things directly to the future king.
"Looking back, what is particularly striking isn't simply that Charles knew Savile. It's the extraordinary degree of familiarity and influence he appears to have acquired inside royal circles during those years."
Savile's Role In Palace Vetting
Savile reportedly gave advice prior to a senior royal aide's appointment.
Savile, who died aged 84 in 2011, was subsequently exposed as one of Britain's most prolific sexual predators, with investigations identifying hundreds of victims.
Charles and Savile had met in the late 1970s through their involvement with wheelchair sports charities.
Their relationship grew sufficiently close that Savile attended Charles' 40th birthday celebrations in 1988.
A palace source said Charles and Savile met Airy before the former major-general was offered the position of private secretary and treasurer to Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales.
Asked about Savile's involvement, Airy said: "I don't think it is my place to comment."
St James' Palace has stated there was "no record" of Savile attending Airy's interview.
Unusual Influence On Marriage Woes
Dickie Arbiter described Savile's informal role in royal marriage advice.
Savile's extraordinary access extended into Charles' personal affairs. In 1990, he was brought in as Charles' marriage to Diana was deteriorating.
Dickie Arbiter, 85, the late Queen Elizabeth II's former press secretary who also handled media relations for Charles and Diana, described Savile's involvement as informal.
Arbiter said: "Savile was brought in by an aide as a sort of 'Jim'll fix it' to fix the state of the marriage, but of course it didn't work. His role was informal, ad hoc. He would just roll in and roll out again. I thought he was a pretty ghastly man."
Ken Wharfe, Diana's former protection officer, said Savile regularly appeared at royal events without warning.
Wharfe said: "Savile used to just turn up at Kensington Palace and at functions." He added: "I don't think Diana was a great fan of his in the way that the Prince of Wales was."
Reckoning Over Legacy
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The monarch expressed deep sadness following Savile's death in 2011.
The relationship nevertheless continued.
Charles accepted an invitation to dinner at Savile's Glencoe home in 1999 and later sent him a Christmas card.
After Savile's death in 2011, Charles said he had been left "incredibly saddened."
The scale of Savile's sexual offending emerged publicly after his death, transforming the reputation of a man who had enjoyed extensive access to institutions and prominent public figures throughout his lifetime.
