I guess I’m not surprised by all of the DM commenters/Keen Defenders’ hypocrisy, about subjects both big and small. The Duchess of Cambridge spent years wandering around events with too-heavy makeup and her defenders cried whenever anyone mentioned that maybe she didn’t need all that eyeshadow for a morning event with kids. But Meghan has some rouge problems in her first year of duchessing, and suddenly rouge problems mean “Meghan is ill-equipped to duchess, she’s too Hollywood, too gauche, too tacky!” So it is with Meghan and Harry’s staffing problems too – nevermind that for years, Kate and William hemorrhaged personal staff, household staff and office staff, suddenly Meghan’s assistant quits and it’s the end of the world and Meghan is the most impossible diva. So what now? According to Vanity Fair, Meghan and Harry are looking to hire two new employees in the coming months:
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are believed to be looking for two new members of staff following what has been (somewhat dramatically) described as a “stampede” over at Kensington Palace. According to reports over the weekend, Harry and Meghan recently lost a much-trusted aide known as Melissa, who is said to have been instrumental in the success of the royal wedding but recently resigned. The walkout comes six months after the royal wedding, and follows the departure of Prince Harry’s private secretary, Edward Lane Fox, who announced he was leaving the household after years of service this past summer. He was succeeded by the Queen’s former assistant private secretary, Samantha Cohen, who is acting as the couple’s joint private secretary.
Australian-born Cohen, who is affectionately nicknamed “Samantha the Panther” in the royal household, came over to Kensington Palace from Buckingham Palace and oversaw the couple’s recent tour of the Commonwealth. She has proved so popular over at Kensington Palace that Meghan and Harry are desperately trying to convince her to stay on.
“They are aware that they have lost some key staff members in recent months, but they really like Sam and want her to stay on,” says a source. Harry is said to be particularly fond of Cohen, having known her since he was a young boy, while Meghan has also struck up a rapport with her.
According to Kensington Palace, though, Cohen’s appointment remains temporary. A statement released in April said, “The recruitment process to appoint Mr. Lane Fox’s successor is ongoing. In the meantime, Samantha Cohen, who will shortly complete her tenure as assistant private secretary to Her Majesty the Queen following delivery of a successful CHOGM [Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting], has kindly agreed to serve as interim private secretary, starting late summer.” Sources say there are no plans for Cohen to leave the household anytime soon. “She is working on long-term projects and is staying put for the time being.” That should be one less worry for Harry and Meghan.
[From Vanity Fair]
William and Kate’s private secretary quit less than a year after their wedding too, and it was because he had “organized” the changeover from Waity Kate to Duchess Kate, and after that he was like “I’m retiring.” It’s quite a big deal for these old guys to manage a royal wedding and stage-manage the debut of a duchess. Anyway, as others have pointed out, royal staffers aren’t paid very well and there’s generally a high turnover with assistants and communications officers anyway, so maybe this is a good thing – Meghan will be able to find an assistant who will remember to iron her clothes and take the tags out, and the Sussexes will be able to hire a private secretary who is dedicated to all things Sussex.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
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