The move follows the departure of veteran valet Brian Tougher who, as the Sunday Express exclusively revealed last May, left to become a monk.

Yesterday a royal insider confessed: "To say everyone is surprised is an understatement but good luck to him.

"It's true that Brian did help her with her clothes but he had an eye for outfits because he is a keen ballroom dancer and had lots of female dance partners.

"David is very much a bloke's bloke and has never done anything in this field before. We never thought of him as a fashion expert but he obviously has hidden talents.

"As well as pressing her clothes and laying them out, he will be called upon to be in the room when the countess is getting dressed for a special occasion and might even zip up her dress at the back and help her on with her jewellery.

David is very much a bloke's bloke and has never done anything in this field before

Royal insider

"It will certainly make a change from being in the kitchens, although he has retained overall responsibility for the catering."

Edward and Sophie, who turns 50 on Tuesday, have brought in a junior chef and an Army orderly to help with duties at Bagshot Park, their 50-room Surrey mansion near Windsor Castle.

"Brian used to do everything from being a butler to arranging flowers and they have been lost without him," said the source. "That's why they've needed reinforcements to take on his work."

Sophie has recently been praised for her new slimline look and fashion sense. As patron of the London College of Fashion, she has developed into an ambassador for British style.