Royal aide dies 26 years after Prince William photo scandal forced her to resign

Dorothy Reddin
Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:11:09 +0000

Sandy Henney, who served as press secretary to King Charles for seven years, has died.

Her funeral took place at Worthing Crematorium last week, though no further details surrounding her death have been disclosed.

Ms Henney held the position from 1993 until 2000, when she departed amid controversy over photographs marking Prince William's 18th birthday.

During her tenure, she navigated some of the most challenging periods in recent royal history, bringing more than two decades of press relations expertise to the role.

Former colleagues paid tribute after news of her death emerged, with many describing her as exceptional to work alongside.

She was known for her fierce loyalty to the then-Prince of Wales throughout her time at St James's Palace.

Royal author Robert Jobson paid tribute, writing: "Hung out to dry over the William photo row. Travelled with her on the silly hats tour with Charles.

"A devoted Spurs fan who could name the entire 1961 Double side. Sandy -- they're 18th. You're well out of it. RIP."

Photographer Tim Rooke described her death as "sad news", recalling their time together on King Charles's 1996 Canadian tour.

Broadcaster Simon McCoy remembered her warmly, stating: "She was an absolute joy to work with. Although in opposite sides - press office and media - she was always fair and kind. And also good fun. She was badly let down. I shall miss her."

The sentiment that the institution had abandoned Ms Henney, whom she served, was echoed repeatedly in tributes shared over the weekend.

The controversy centred on Ms Henney's decision to grant the Daily Telegraph and ITN exclusive access to images from Prince William's birthday celebration, a move that provoked fury among rival media outlets.

She faced accusations of breaching an agreement with The Telegraph after the photographs were subsequently released to other publications.

A dispute over ownership rights also erupted, pitting the photographer's traditional claim to their work against the Palace's assertion of control over official images.

The fallout prompted Ms Henney to tender her resignation. According to royal author Penny Junor's book, she offered to step down "as a matter of formality, never for a moment believing it would be accepted".

King Charles accepted her departure with "deep regret", St James's Palace confirmed at the time.

Ms Henney oversaw an exceptionally turbulent period, steering communications through King Charles's divorce from Diana and the former Princess of Wales's death in a Paris car crash in 1997.

Speaking in a 2015 BBC documentary, she revealed her fears about public sentiment in the aftermath.

"I remember briefing one of our private secretaries on the phone and saying, 'I know you're seeing it on television, but you really have to be here in London to feel the atmosphere. People here are really antimonarchy,'" she said. "I have to say, yeah, I was worried in terms of where was this going to go?"

The contrast between father and son following her resignation was stark. Ms Junor's book notes that King Charles never said goodbye, yet Prince William telephoned immediately.

Ms Henney recalled: "There was no thought for himself, it was all about how I was. Total loyalty."