Sussexes desperate to downplay staff exodus as another worker leaves
No one has yet coined a phrase for the Sussex staff exodus (Sussexit?), but it has become a central and unfortunate part of Prince Harry and the duchess’s public image.
Some disappeared quietly. Others gave glowing accounts of how wonderful their time with the Sussexes was and what a pain it was to leave.
Meghan and Harry at the Archewell Foundation summit in 2023.Credit: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for the Healthy Minds Project
Communications chief Ashley Hansen, who left between 2022 and 2024 to start her own public relations firm and is now consulting in Los Angeles, explained that Harry and Meghan’s “unwavering support and belief in my new firm is meaningful and a testament to their leadership.”
Former chief operating officer Mandana Dayani called them “kind, decent, caring people who I am very proud to call my friends.”
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Three days ago, Meredith Maines, the 11th PR major to leave in five years, said she would “pursue a new opportunity” after a year of “inspiring work.”
But anonymous briefings tell a different story: allegations of bullying, leveled at the palace by a worried press secretary who said the duchess “seemed intent on having someone in her sights at all times”, have not gone away.
Buckingham Palace’s report on the duo has not yet been published and there is no sign that it will be published.
The nickname “Duchess Zor”, coined in Britain, has survived in the United States.
An American source, who initially told a magazine that they did not believe the stories coming out of the palace, admitted that the people of Damascus realized: “Oh, this happened on any given Tuesday.”
In a report Hollywood Reporter He gave a colorful and oft-quoted description of the duchess as a “high-heeled dictator” and the duke as “very enabling.”
This was followed by a counter article in the famous tabloid. US Weeklywhere a staff member lined up to talk about “the best bosses I’ve ever had”.
Ben Browning, the TV side’s former head of content, said “we all remain friends”, while former chief of staff Catherine St-Laurent said her time at Archewell was “incredibly meaningful to me”.
The most interim chief of staff, Josh Kettler, said he received a “warm welcome” during his three-month stint.
The duke and duchess have always denied accusations of bullying.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry were photographed at the World Baseball Series in Los Angeles in October.Credit: access point
Yet they are unsettled by staffing stories that have become as much a part of their brand as edible flower petals and appearances on US chat shows.
A source familiar with Team Sussex said there was an “undeniable pattern”. While supporters may argue this is a casual staff loss, they added that the trend is “clearly related to the working environment.”
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Sussex sources speak of a “transition” for patrons, with the Archewell Foundation becoming Archewell Philanthropies. The change will see smaller charities fall under the “fiscal sponsor” model traditionally used to allow an umbrella organization to manage the administrator and distribute the funds.
One critic noted that the Sussexes’ ambitions to run a global foundation were “essentially shut down”.
Many sources who have worked together since the duke and duchess left the royal family liken their work in America to a small “startup.”
“You build, you scale, you test things, you rebuild,” one source said. “You get a level of success and then sometimes you review it. Does the infrastructure still support what you want to achieve?”
The source added that Archewell Philanthropies’ new set-up will allow the duke and duchess to continue their “show up, do good” mantra with less administrative costs.
So what happens now for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex?
The Sussexes at a welcome celebration during the 2025 Invictus Games in February.Credit: access point
There is another media trial for Prince Harry that will begin in January. He is certain to return to Britain for Invictus, which will stage a “one year to go” event before the 2027 games.
There will be trips abroad to Africa, where the Duke maintains patronages including the Halo Foundation and African Parks, and perhaps again to Ukraine.
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There are no definitive plans for a dramatic pivot to new philanthropic causes.
Both the Duke and Duchess want to work in the US whenever they feel they are needed (as they did for fire rescues in Los Angeles or the Uvalde shootings, for example) and they want to work with bereaved parents on social media harms.
In his departure statement, Holt praised the duchess’s ability to “find joy even in difficult moments.” There were many of these.
As the new year begins, the “revolving door” perception among personnel, which is expressed in all media environments, needs to end.
