Heartbreaking 10-word warning to King Charles by trusted member of staff before late Queen died

As his mother's life started to come to an end, Charles received an urgent phone call from Sir Clive Alderton, who shared a poignant warning with the future King

King Charles received a frank warning from his most trusted advisor as the Queen's life started to slip away.

Charles received an urgent call from his sister Princess Anne, and his Private Secretary Sir Clive Alderton on the evening of 7 September - one day before Her Majesty passed away.

At the time, he was already in Scotland on official business, but some 150 miles away in Ayrshire. He was urged to return to Balmoral as quickly as possible. According to Robert Hardman in his book, Charles III: New King. New Court , Sir Clive revealed the severity of the situation to the future King, and told him: "Think how you would feel if you never said goodbye."

The next morning at 9.30am, Charles was taken by helicopter with Camilla, and then contacted Prince William, Prince Harry and his younger brothers, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, and suggested they come to Balmoral. He arrived at nearby Birkhall - his Scottish retreat - before 10.30am and borrowed a Land Rover from a staff member so he and Camilla could immediately drive to Balmoral to spend an hour at the Queen's bedside.

Sadly, Charles was not with his mother when she died at 3:10pm. He had briefly stepped away from her bedside to clear his head and had gone out to gather mushrooms. He received the news that she had died as he was driving back to Balmoral when his most senior aide took a call. Charles pulled over and was addressed for the first time as 'Your Majesty' - signalling he was now King, Hardman wrote.

Following the death of the Queen, Sir Clive Alderton has assumed the position of the most senior aide at Buckingham Palace. He has been a trusted adviser to the King and Queen Camilla since 2006, a year after their marriage in 2005. At the time of his appointment to Clarence House, Sir Clive was Britain's Ambassador to Morocco having first joined the Foreign Office in 1986. His successful career has seen him serve overseas in Poland, Belgium, Singapore and France.

As the most important member of the Royal Household, the Private Secretary is responsible for supporting the King in his duties as Head of State. Described by the Royal Family as "the channel of communication between the Head of State and the Government", he will also liaise with the Armed Forces, the Church and the many organisations of which His Majesty is patron.

Sir Clive is also reportedly the man behind the notorious phrase ‘some recollections may vary’ following the Duchess of Sussex's accusations of racism in the Firm, and is known for his love of culture, his sense of humour and his fierce intelligence. According to the Daily Mail , he's also known in Palace corridors as a 'hatchet man' for his immense ability to deliver bad news.