THE Prince of Wales is parting company with the senior aide behind his decision to make the television documentary in which he admitted adultery.
Cdr Richard Aylard is leaving his post as private secretary early next year amid mounting speculation that his advice has led to differences with the prince and other aides.
"Old guard" courtiers are said to have blamed Prince Charles's adultery confession on prime time TV for fuelling the huge public interest in his relationship with Mrs Camilla Parker Bowles.
Some believe it spurred the Princess of Wales to give her Panorama interview, in which she questioned whether her then estranged husband was suited to his future role as king.
Yesterday the prince's press secretary, Ms Sandy Henney, denied suggestions that Prince Charles had sacked his closest aide.
Ms Henney said: "Commander Aylard took over as private secretary in 1991. His initial contract as private secretary was for five years. He has said privately that he would leave at some stage when the time was right. There is no other reason for the departure."
She said she was confirming his departure "to avoid any further unhelpful and inaccurate speculation on the matter". It was a "mutual decision by the Prince of Wales and Commander Aylard", she said.
Cdr Aylard (44) has been widely seen as one of the mainstays of support for the prince during his separation and divorce. The former Royal Navy officer joined the palace as equerry to the Princess of Wales 11 years ago, moving later to become an assistant private secretary to the prince before promotion to his role as Charles's closest aide.
In May it emerged that he was to divorce. He and his wife, Suzanne (46), had agreed to part, it was confirmed.
Rachel Donnelly adds from London: The Duchess of York left London to attend a charity film performance in New York yesterday following the announcement that she has dropped legal action against a book on her life.
Meanwhile, officials at Buckingham Palace confirmed they have written to the Press Complaints Commission concerning tape recorded conversations discussing the duchess and her former husband, Prince Andrew.
A palace official said earlier this week that it was "considering" what action it could take over the conversations between the duchess and a "psychic healer", known as Madame Vasso Kortesis, which were made public by the Daily Mirror newspaper using an 0891 telephone number.
However, palace officials have now confirmed that they have written to the PCC to "express our concern at the intrusion into privacy of the Daily Mirror."
The duchess, referring to the publication of Allan Starkie's Fergie, Her Secret Life, said yesterday she felt her privacy bad been "viciously and improperly invaded."
The British press has put forward a number of theories to explain the duchess's decision to stop legal action against Mr Starkie, notably that she could not raise the £500,000 legal costs to cover a court case.