Richard Aylard | |
---|---|
Born | St Pancras, London | 10 April 1952
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/ | Royal Navy |
Years of service | 1972–89 |
Rank | Commander |
Battles/wars | Falklands War |
Awards | Commander of the Royal Victorian Order |
Relations | Joyce Aylard (mother) |
Other work | Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales (1991–96) |
Commander Richard J. Aylard, CVO (born 10 April 1952) is a retired British Royal Navy officer and is a Director and Special Advisor to the Chief Executive of Thames Water.[1][2] From 1991 to 1996 he was Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales.[3]
Richard Aylard was born on 10 April 1952 in St Pancras, London, and educated at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Barnet. His mother, Joyce Aylard, had been a Wren and codebreaker during World War II. His father, John Aylard, was an officer in the RNVR, serving on the PQ convoys to Russia. Richard studied at the University of Reading, graduating with a BSc(Hons) in Applied Zoology with Mathematics, and at the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management.
Aylard left the Royal Navy in July 1989, and from May 1989 to 1991, was Assistant Private Secretary and Comptroller to the Prince and Princess of Wales. From May 1991 until his retirement in 1996, he was Private Secretary and Treasurer to the Prince of Wales.[5] He remains an Extra Equerry to Charles III (previously the Prince of Wales). He was made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1994.
From 1996 to 2002, Aylard was a consultant on environmental issues and public affairs at Burson-Marsteller.[4] In 2002, he joined Thames Water as Corporate Responsibility Director, became their External Affairs and Sustainability Director[4] is now a Director and Special Advisor to the Chief Executive.[6]
Aylard is a Senior Associate of the Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership, an Ambassador for WWF-UK and an Associate of Forum for the Future.[4]
Aylard is portrayed by Alastair Mackenzie in season 5 of the Netflix TV series The Crown.