Meghan Markle, Prince Harry staff shake-up: Four staffers part ways with the Sussexes
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have made a number of changes in their staffing once again, resulting in four members parting ways with the couple. As per a report by Hello!, staffers who left Harry and Meghan Markle's employ include UK press officer Charlie Gipson and Kyle Boulia, their Los Angeles-based deputy press secretary.
The news comes amid the Duke and Duchess of Sussex bringing in new members, such as Meredith Maines, their first chief communications officer, earlier this year. She had previously worked for American Idol, Hulu and Google.
According to the report by Hello!, two people from Meghan Markle's private team also departed in recent weeks. Meridith Maines addressed the couple's staffing changes in a statement to Page Six on Friday, June 13.
'As the Duke and Duchess's business and philanthropic interests grow, I have made the strategic decision to move toward a more traditional communications structure of specialist agency support, as previously reported in Forbes and PR Week several weeks ago,' she said.
Maines added that the move to shift from a small team of two to an agency support staff of eight who work across five time zones was made to give international media and stakeholders better access to the couple. The transition would also help in faster response times to inquiries.
A source quoted in the Hello! report said that there could be 'another change in the future.' The insider claimed that while Meghan Markle and Prince Harry employ 'some of the most incredible people at the top of their fields,' things do not work out with many of their employees.
Last year, Ashley Hansen, the couple's head of communications and global press secretary left to start her own communications firm. Josh Kettler, the chief of staff of the Duke of Sussex, also parted ways after a trial period of three months in 2024.
Also read: Los Angeles protests: Meghan Markle's appearance at Natural History Museum gala postponed
The Duchess of Sussex will soon feature in the second season of her Netflix show, With Love, Meghan. Meghan Markle has also been promoting her new lifestyle brand, As Ever.
She has two children, Archie and Lilibet, with her husband, Prince Harry.
A few years ago, she told Femail that touching her hair was a "physical and psychological calming gesture" for her when she was feeling stressed or uncomfortable.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back from royal duties to chart a new path, focusing more on their privacy and independent ventures.
In 2003, she graduated with a Bachelor's degree in theatre and international studies from Northwestern University.
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