THE chief aide to the Prince of Wales, William Nye, is to be the next Secretary General of the Archbishops' Council and of the General Synod, it was announced on Wednesday.

Mr Nye, who is 49, has been Prince Charles's principal private secretary since 2011. He will take up his appointment as the most senior member of staff at Church House, Westminster, in November, when William Fittall, his predecessor for the past 13 years, retires.

A civil servant all his working life, Mr Nye has worked on the arts for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, and on national security for the Home and Cabinet Offices. He is practising member of the Church of England, and has been a parochial church councillor, deanery-synod member, and churchwarden over the past 20 years.

Five from about 30 applicants were shortlisted. The selection panel included both Archbishops, and unanimously chose Mr Nye. He studied economics at the University of Cambridge and has a Master's degree in economics from Yale University, in the United States.

The Archbishops' Council statement announcing his appointment said that Mr Nye "demonstrated great commitment to the vision of a Church" and "brought great insight and demonstrated great sensitivity to the needs of the dioceses". "After 25 years of public service he wishes now to help the Church to thrive on behalf of the whole of our country."

The reform and renewal programme (News, 12 January) will be a substantial part of his work.