Princess Diana’s former private secretary refuses to take ‘unBritish’ pledge of allegiance as Richard Madeley labels oath ’embarrassing’

Princess Diana’s former private secretary has made it clear he won’t be taking King Charles III’s pledge of allegiance.

The public has been invited to ‘cry out and swear allegiance’ to the King during his coronation on Saturday.

During the ceremony, Archbishop Justin Welby will call upon ‘all persons of goodwill in The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of the other Realms and the Territories to make their homage, in heart and voice, to their undoubted King, defender of all’.

The order of service on May 6 reads: ‘All who so desire, in the Abbey, and elsewhere, say together: All: I swear that I will pay true allegiance to Your Majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.’

But, despite a link to the monarchy, Patrick Jephsen has refused to take the pledge.

Appearing on Tuesday’s Good Morning Britain, he told Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid: ‘It’s not a personal thing Richard, it just feels to me unBritish.’

The public has been invited to ‘cry out and swear allegiance’ to the King during his coronation (Picture: TOBY MELVILLE / POOL / AFP)

Princess Diana’s former private secretary has made it clear he won’t be takingthe oath (Picture: Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)

‘I agree with you,’ added Richard.

Patrick continued: ‘It feels divisive, from now on, “Did you take it? Didn’t you?” Immediately we’re on a divided foot.

‘It’s not really very unified.’

‘It’s also a bit embarrassing, isn’t it?’ Richard said, adding: ‘To sit in your lounge and say to the telly.’

Patrick went on to explain: ‘There are already thousands of people who serve the Crown without having to take any fancy oath of allegiance, they just get on with it.’

Patrick Jephsen explained why he won’t be taking the ‘unBritish’ oath (Picture: ITV)

‘It’s also a bit embarrassing,’ Richard Madeley agreed (Picture: ITV)

‘We don’t need people to tell us, “You’ve got to say this”.’

Patrick elsewhere spoke about having ‘mixed feelings’ about Camilla’s role in the event.

He said: ‘I haven’t got anything personally against Camilla, I’m sure she does the best she can in the circumstances she finds herself in, my concern, and it is rather more to do wth relations within the monarchy and the media, if you look back at the history of Camilla’s royal career, sadly it is buried in very unhappy roots, I know that better than anybody probably.’

Patrick elsewhere said the late Queen had been ‘misled’ about Camilla (Picture: Chris Jackson-WPA Pool/Getty Images)

He continued: ‘I lived with her, because working for Princess Diana, of course you knew about Camilla and the effect Camilla’s existence had on Princess Diana.’

‘What concerns me more, is the way in which, in order to reinvent Camilla, no longer the secret mistress, no longer Mrs Parker-Bowles, but her Majesty, the Queen, that’s a heck of a journey,’ Patrick added.

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He went on to say the late monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, had been ‘misled’, saying: ‘I think the late Queen, like the rest of us has been, rather innocently misled about what Camilla was and about what she would be called and what her future role was going to be.

‘If you look at the history of it, it is a history of no doubt benign but very effective halve-truths.’

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV1.

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‘It’s not really very unified.’