For a decade he was the trusted right-hand man to Prince William and Prince Harry and later helped Catherine shape her royal role before becoming godfather to Prince George. Having earlier served as equerry to the Queen Mother, the former Irish Guards officer became an SAS troop and squadron commander, earning an MBE for his part in smashing a Colombian drugs cartel.
But after a lifetime of service – from the battlefield to Buckingham Palace – Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton is stepping out of the shadows with his first novel, a gripping wartime thriller inspired in part by his extraordinary career and the remarkable life of his late mother. "It's a funny feeling, but it's rather exciting actually," he tells HELLO!
In 1984, while in his early 20s he was plucked from a trench in northern Germany and selected to spend two years as the Queen Mother's equerry, which he describes as "absolutely unforgettable".
Life with the Queen Mother
Among his tasks was to prepare pre-dinner Martinis for guests. "The recipe was seven parts gin to one (of Vermouth. We would literally wave the Vermouth over the top of it. Lots of ice.
"The Queen Mother was an incredibly good host, but she was very clever because whenever I went around with a jug to fill everybody's drink up, she always said, 'Can I have some ice?' So everybody was rolling in the aisles and she was just wonderful."
Their conversations often turned to her memories of the Second World War, during which she had played a crucial role in boosting morale. "If Adolf Hitler called her the most dangerous woman in Europe, that's all you need, isn't it?"
© Getty ImagesJamie was treated "almost as a surrogate grandson" during that period, spending three months of the year at Birkhall, the Scottish retreat now beloved by the King and Queen. The experience left a lasting impression, and today he sees echoes of his former boss in the Princess of Wales.
"The Princess reminds me of her in many ways – understated but very, very duty driven and actually very strong, as we've just seen with her climbing the Three Peaks. "The Queen Mother was, he recalls, "huge fun", and once challenged him to flick peas into the bowl of a chandelier in the dining room. "I failed miserably, my hands were shaking so much."
Shaping royal lives
Those lessons in duty and service would later shape his decade at the heart of the royal household. He looks back fondly on his time with the two Princes and explains how it was important to him to "get it right" for them at a formative time in their lives.
William was 22 and Harry 20 when Jamie became their principal private secretary in 2005, helping guide them into military careers, while ensuring they had space to experience life before settling into full-time royal duties.
"William in particular has a sort of life track planned out for him. And so to my mind, that time I was with him was the time to get it right and, as my father, who was an Anglo-Irishman, used to say, to know you've 'known the days'. It's really important because it's great to look back on your 20s or 30s and think, 'I've done it.'"
© Getty ImagesHe was also tasked with organising William and Catherine's 2011 wedding. Was that more or less daunting than commanding an SAS squadron? "That's a really good question. What was common to both is that you could not be surrounded by better, more professional, well motivated, decent people in both camps.
"William said, 'You take the helm of this, you promulgate what Catherine and I want.' But I did very little. It was a question of setting the parameters, just passing on the messages because there were so many utter professionals, it was an extraordinary experience. But I didn't do much actually, because everybody was so competent."
Jamie's new chapter
Jamie has remained close to the royal family and was reunited with the Princess of Wales last year on a visit to Suffolk, where he is deputy Lord Lieutenant. But it is his debut novel that occupies his thoughts today. Beyond the Edge of Light tells the story of Missie, a rebellious young Englishwoman working at Bletchley Park, and Conrad, a disillusioned German aristocrat, whose paths collide in a captivating tale of forbidden love, intelligence secrets, and conflicting loyalties.
Missie was inspired by his mother Sue, who died aged 99 in 2024 without ever revealing the secrets of her life as a spy. After serving on Naafi wagons and as a motorcycle dispatch rider in the Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War Two, she worked in military intelligence in the Far East and then as an intelligence officer in MI5.
Having turned down 11 marriage proposals, her covert career ended in 1956, three years after her marriage to Jamie’s father Anthony, known as 'Rumpty'. "He was lovely, but a pretty difficult character and she just knew how to unlock him. She used to get him out of moods by doing the most outrageous things, like throwing roast potatoes at him during lunch. It always worked."
The book also explores the wartime rumour of a failed German invasion of the Suffolk coastline in 1940, which Jamie has researched at length. Asked whether we will ever know the truth, he says: "It's better left as folklore, frankly."
Advice for Prince George
Jamie remains discreet about his role as godfather to Prince George, who he was charged with looking after, along with the other young pages of honour, in the week leading up to the Coronation. But as an old Etonian, what advice would he offer the young Prince as he prepares to start there in September?
© Getty Images"It's probably changed a lot since I went. Actually, it certainly has. And in many ways, it's changed for the better. My son was there too, so I've seen it quite recently. You're very, very privileged to go there and there are all sorts of amazing things you can do.
"The Drawing School, for instance, at Eton, is just sensational. That's the name of the art department, as it were. And you can do anything you want. And they have these amazing societies – debating societies, history of art societies, where incredible people come down. Now that is a real privilege.
"So I'm not saying this to lecture poor old George, but I'm saying if anybody goes to that sort of place, then you've got to take the opportunity to live it. And actually, dare I say, you've got to then realise how lucky you've been, and you've got to pay back in some way. Whether it's through public service, the military or whatever, you've got to pay back. But it is a great privilege, and you don't want to waste it."
Jamie's focus now, however, is on his own new chapter. And readers may not have long to wait for another adventure. "I don't want to leave Missie hanging," he says, with a smile.
Beyond the Edge of Light by Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton is published by Bantam (9th July, £16.99).
