Keeping Harry under control is tall order for 6ft 4in minder

While Prince Charles and the Royal Family are likely to receive widespread sympathy over Prince Harry's Nazi escapade, little of it will reach the Clarence House communications secretary, Paddy Harverson. Some may even see it as a comeuppance.

Since he took up his role as the head of the royal princes' PR, Mr Harverson has not been universally admired. While Harry and William have taken warmly to the 41-year-old ex-Army colonel's son from Manchester, others have not.

Shortly after he took up his appointment almost a year ago, one courtier who heard him interviewed on BBC radio's Today programme demanded: "Just who does he think he is?"

It is a question that has been asked several times. Mr Harverson, a charismatic, softly-spoken man who, at 6ft 4in, towers over his charges, was given his job by Sir Michael Peat, the former accountant with a reputation for running the royal family like a FTSE 100 corporation.

Mr Harverson had been press officer at Manchester United. One of his triumphs had been to minimise the fall-out over Sir Alex Ferguson kicking a football boot at David Beckham's head.

Sir Michael may have thought this ideal experience for a man whose main problem would be handling Harry's PR.

Mr Harverson was introduced to journalists who report royal matters at a drinks party. He described how Sir Alex said he was jumping out of the pan and into the fire. He said he felt like a character in a film, rolling to safety from an explosion, to find himself facing a row of assassins. The "assassins" laughed but they were to prove Sir Alex right.

As Mr Harverson settled into his role, with a flat in Kensington Palace and a salary estimated at around ?130,000 a year, he stressed he would be in charge of communications "strategy", rather than day-to-day press matters.

But he soon found himself facing almost daily crises. His judgment was called into question early on when the Sun ran a photograph of Prince William and a friend skiing. Mr Harverson banned Sun photographer Arthur Edwards from any facility on the trip. The Sun responded by carrying a piece bemoaning his treatment and underlining Mr Edwards's stature as a royal photographer of 40 years, by carrying a picture of him with his MBE.

Mr Harverson had blundered, most observers agreed. "The mistake Paddy made was trying to become an Alastair Campbell to the royal family," one reporter said. "He is a bit of a bully."

Then during his trip to Lesotho, Harry was seen helping children with Aids. Mr Harverson's decision to invoke the memory of Princess Diana caused consternation.

Most who deal with Mr Harverson, a former FT journalist, recognise his professionalism. The Nazi incident is horrendous for him. He was at Clarence House yesterday afternoon when the Sun called him to say it had a photograph of Harry in Wehrmacht garb.

He would have gone through the moves dictated by his trade: informing Sir Michael and Prince Charles before working out an apology with Harry.

Even Mr Harverson's critics acknowledge he inherited the problem of Harry's behaviour. One predecessor said: "That boy is out of control."

Mr Harverson has not succeeded in becoming a ruling influence in Harry's life. That role is played by ex-Guards officer, Mark Dyer, who went from escort and mentor to close friend.

Mr Dyer has a magnetic effect on young men. Witness this scene from a Chelsea restaurant last Friday. Mr Dyer was surrounded by well-heeled blades carousing loudly, in thrall to his cavalier charm. The unruly gathering was just the kind Harry seems to enjoy.

Mr Harverson is unlikely to change that. Rather, he would do well to heed the advice of a courtier to Richard Aylard, another talented man who arrived in royal circles determined to make his mark: "Always remember the cemeteries are full of indispensable people."