Bestselling author, journalist and broadcaster, Patrick sailed the world as an officer in the Royal Navy before Princess Diana chose him as her equerry (military aide) and then as her first and only private secretary/chief of staff.

He served the Princess for eight years (1988-96), responsible for every aspect of her public life, worldwide humanitarian initiatives, and private organization. He traveled with her to five continents encountering unforgettable figures from Mother Teresa and Paul McCartney to Luciano Pavarotti and Margaret Thatcher. Under relentless media scrutiny, his tenure covered the period of Princess Diana’s greatest popularity as well as the constitutional controversy of her separation from Prince Charles, service for which HM The Queen appointed him Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order.

Royal duty runs in Patrick’s family: Henry VIII executed one ancestor over Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I was godmother to another, and yet another masterminded William III’s secret service (badly).

In worldwide demand as a royal expert, he provides live commentary for US networks on events such as Harry and Meghan's wedding and Prince Philip's funeral. His articles have appeared in Vanity Fair, People and Time magazine as well as every major UK newspaper. He is currently a historical consultant to the award-winning Netflix series The Crown, and his character appears in several episodes of Seasons 4 and 5.

Born in Ireland and educated in Edinburgh and Cambridge, Patrick is now a naturalized American citizen, with a home in Leesburg, Virginia. Drawing on skills he learned as a courtier, he is founding partner in a brand and reputation consultancy in Washington DC.

Ships, shore leave... and Princess Diana
Come aboard for salty, sublime and salutary experiences from the Royal Navy and the Royal Household

On Her Royal Highness's Service: royal tours on five continents
Go behind the scenes on Princess Diana’s global tours from Argentina to Zimbabwe

Transatlantic Princess: Diana in America
Re-live glamorous and poignant memories from Diana's journeys to her favorite destination - the USA.

Meghan, Kate, William, Harry: What next for the Windsors?
Dig behind the headlines with a former courtier’s inside take on the future of the British Crown

Princess Diana, myth and reality: the making of a royal legend
Travel through recent royal history for surprising insights about the ever-fascinating princess

Victoria 200: Greatest Monarch, Empress of India, Grandmother of Tsar, Kaiser and King
Celebrate the bicentenary of the sovereign who defined a century – and became matriarch to the crowned heads of Europe

Sea service in the Cold War: a personal scrapbook
See the Atlantic/Pacific/Mediterranean/Caribbean differently with these tense tales of shadowing Russian submarines… in fancy dress.

Since 2005, regular enrichment assignments with Celebrity Line and Viking Ocean Cruises; Superyacht Christina O; Queen Mary 2 (lecturer to Roads Scholars group).

The following recent Cruise History has been recorded for this candidate.