Kate Middleton news: Former Tesco boss Sir David Lewis joins the Prince & Princess of Wales’s Royal Foundation

In a statement shared on 14 June, Catherine, Princess of Wales revealed that “On the days I feel well enough, it is a joy to engage with school life, spend personal time on the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to do a little work from home.”

Although Catherine, Princess of Wales revealed that she is “starting to do a little work from home,” she also revealed that “I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty. Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal.”

It is therefore not a surprise that she and her husband Prince William have decided to appoint a key figure to join their Royal Foundation. Filings made to Companies House on 2 July reveal that Sir David John Lewis, the former CEO of Tesco, was appointed a director of the Prince and Princess of Wales’s Royal Foundation on 20 June. 

Sir David Lewis was knighted in 2021 for his services to the food industry and business and when he received his knighthood from Princess Anne, he said that “It’s a recognition for an awful lot of people in the food industry in the pandemic.”

According to Grocery Gazette, “In May 2020, two months into lockdown, Tesco’s board handed Lewis a £4.8 million bonus. On top of his basic salary – 355 times that of the supermarket’s lowest-paid employee –  his total pay stood at £6.4 million.

“However, the move was vetoed by 67.3 per cent of Tesco shareholders at the AGM.”

Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William had been looking for a Chief Executive for the Royal Household earlier this year, but called off the search. A Palace spokesman told Richard Eden of the Daily Mail that “With everything gone on, the Royal Household’s focus is on the Princesses’s recovery, so no appointment has been made.”

Tatler magazine has reported that “It's likely Sir David will be working with the couple on their charitable initiatives, which include campaigns in homelessness, addiction and Kate Middleton's Early Years development work.

In January 2024, Sir David Lewis joined the private equity ownerof Morrisons and CD&R co-president Dave Novak said at the time that “I believe his knowledge and experience, built up over three decades, will be of great value to CD&R funds as we consider new investments and continue to build stronger, more sustainable businesses across Europe.”