The PM owes the future king one, I hear. Boris Johnson had to ring Prince William personally last week to ask if he could pinch his man to be the new Cabinet Secretary. Highly rated Simon Case didn't apply for the job, and wanted to return to KP when his No10 secondment ended (1)
Instead, Boris appealed to Case to insist the country (and he) needed him, and asked the same of William. I'm also told William - who had hoped Case would get him to the throne one day as his long serving Private Secretary - took it "very well" and immediately agreed (2)
An ally of the prince says he is "taking one for the team", adding: "How can anyone not be supportive given the scale of the challenge coming". William and Boris have a good relationship going way back to their 2010 failed bid for England to host the World Cup. Which is handy (3)
More on the PM's delicate royal dance on @TimesRadio just after 7am tomorrow.
