Ричард Айлард: Әскери теңізші, патшаның жеке хатшысы және Thames Water директоры

Royal Navy officer; Equerry to Prince Charles; Director, Thames Water

Commander Richard J. Aylard, (born 10 April 1952) is a retired British Royal Navy officer and is a Director and Special Advisor to the Chief Executive of Thames Water. From 1991 to 1996 he was Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales.

Richard Aylard was born on 10 April 1952 in St Pancras, London, and educated at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Barnet. His mother, Joyce Aylard, had been a Wren and codebreaker during World War II. His father, John Aylard, was an officer in the RNVR, serving on the PQ convoys to Russia. Richard studied at the University of Reading, graduating with a BSc(Hons) in Applied Zoology with Mathematics, and at the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management.

Aylard joined the Supply and Secretariat Branch of the Royal Navy in 1972. He served on , and between 1974 and 1977, being promoted to lieutenant on 16 November 1975. From 1977 to 1979 he was on the staff of FOSM, and 1979–81 was Flag Lieutenant to Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic. He was Captain's Secretary on 1981–83, when he received the South Atlantic Medal for service during the Falklands War. He remains an Extra Equerry to Charles III (previously the Prince of Wales). He was made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1994.

From 1996 to 2002, Aylard was a consultant on environmental issues and public affairs at Burson Marsteller. is now a Director and Special Advisor to the Chief Executive. Aylard is a Senior Associate of the Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership, an Ambassador for WWF UK and an Associate of Forum for the Future.

Aylard is portrayed by Alastair Mackenzie in season 5 of the Netflix TV series The Crown.