American viewers may not be familiar with James Hewitt’s name in the latest season of The Crown but the military man is at the heart of one of the biggest affairs to besiege the monarchy in the late 20th century.

Born into a military family in 1958, Hewitt’s father was an officer in the British Navy and he himself attended Millfield School as a young man. At the age of 20, Hewitt followed his family’s tradition of service by joining the Brigade of Guards, a unit of the British Army.