For more than a decade, former British ambassador Sir David Manning was a key figure in training Princes William and Harry as representatives of the British monarchy abroad.
Queen Elizabeth II herself personally chose him for this mission, convinced that his diplomatic experience and reserved nature would be essential in helping her grandsons find their place within the institution.
Manning accepted the position under unusual conditions: he would be a part-time advisor without a salary. He did not want to be caught up in the formal machinery of the palace, but he was willing to offer his advice whenever they needed it. And they did.
According to his former private secretary, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, Sir David became a trusted figure for the princes. “They could talk to him, they could joke with him,” he said. He was also someone they knew would fight for them.
Under his guidance, William and Harry created the Royal Foundation in 2009, a flexible platform that allowed them to promote personal causes such as mental health, the environment, and combating homelessness.
It was through this organization that Harry founded the Invictus Games. Later, Kate and Meghan also joined the project, although the Duke and Duchess of Sussex left it when they stepped back from institutional life in 2020.
Sir David had left his post a year earlier, with public recognition from the Royal Family for his role during a decisive period.
Before his connection with the Windsors, Manning had already had a distinguished diplomatic career. He was ambassador to Israel, then to the United States, and foreign policy advisor to Tony Blair during the Iraq War.
His global experience was decisive for the young princes, but his greatest legacy was allowing them to grow within the monarchy without forcing them to be anything other than themselves.