King Charles received a major blow from one of his close palace aides amid a recent controversy within the palace.

According to the editor-in-chief mail on sunday Monarch Charlotte Griffith, 75, was duped into hiring a colleague to work at the palace by Garter King David White.

He reportedly got the King to sign off on an appointment to promote his colleague Peter O’Donoghue to the senior post of Secretary of the Order of the Garter at the College of Arms, while he was recovering from cancer treatment.

“It was like a medieval trick. There was a huge row behind the scenes,” a source told the outlet.

“Some believe David White deliberately tried to gain access to Charles behind his back in order to get his preferred candidate for the role,” they continued.

“David may not have realized that the king was tired. In other words, he was at his most vulnerable, which is why proper procedures were in place.”

“When the King is in London he receives treatment here, so it’s often a challenging time for him.

A source close to the matter insisted: “The aides closest to Charles know him well enough to know that he should have been left alone at the time.”

As King of the Garter, Mr. White was in a position to advise the King on matters of heraldry and etiquette in the conduct of royal ceremonies.