Prince William’s former staffer, Lieutenant Commander Rob Dixon, shared a heartfelt goodbye to the royal family.
“I am ready to move forward,” expressed Dixon, aged 42, in a recent post on LinkedIn. He reflected, “I had an extraordinary opportunity to serve in a position that not only pushed me but also allowed me to develop, learn, and provide valuable contributions alongside a skilled and dedicated team.”
In 2020, Dixon was assigned as William’s equerry. After two years, he also took on the role of Princess Kate Middleton’s equerry, standing by the Prince and Princess of Wales for the last four years. An equerry is a military officer who serves members of the British royal family in a supporting role. Dixon was officially responsible for The Household of THR The Prince and Princess of Wales.
“It has been an incredible journey, and I am excited to carry forward the expertise and perspectives I have acquired into my future endeavors,” Dixon stated in his farewell message. He proceeded to recount all the memorable and unique moments he experienced with the royal family, such as the Platinum Jubilee and the funerals of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
“There were engagements when our whole Household was involved, every single person, and there were times when I was quite rightly standing alone, calling the shots and backing the shots I’d taken,” he added. “It’s now time to swap the top hat and tails for ‘daily working rig’ once again, and it’s the right thing to do.”
Dixon noted that he’s “excited” to “move onwards and upwards” into a new role within the Royal Navy as Squadron Leader Mike Reynolds takes over as William’s equerry going forward.
“I will be forever grateful to everyone who played their part alongside me in ‘Team Cambridge’ and ‘Team Wales’, and also to my superb Principals,” Dixon concluded. “I wish you all fair winds and following seas.”
Prior to Dixon’s news, royal biographer Robert Hardman wrote in his new book, New King, New Court, that the Prince and Princess of Wales aim to limit the staff members in their Windsor home.
“The couple did not seek to boost the staff numbers at Adelaide Cottage, not least because there would be little room to do so,” Hardman wrote, noting that the “Kensington Palace team does include a ‘yeoman’, a multi-tasking attendant who looks after everything from luggage to uniforms, but there is no ‘gentleman’s gentleman’ on the staff.”
He also explained that there is “certainly no butler” helping out William and Kate. “It’s very much [just] them at home with the kids.”
