Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Have Closed Their Buckingham Palace Office
When Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry initially announced their intent to step back as senior members of the British royal family, they had hoped to remain part-time working royals. Unfortunately, their radical plans didn’t quite fit in with the traditions of the royal family.
As a result, the royal couple stepped away from their royal roles altogether — taking full and total control of their lives. Though the duo initially said they would be splitting their time between the U.K. and North America, it appears that their visits back across the pond will be few and far between.
Markle and Prince Harry have officially closed their Buckingham Palace office, leaving several of their former staffers without jobs.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are no longer required to attend royal events
Amid Megxit — the Sussexes had been adamant about supporting Queen Elizabeth II and the monarchy. “We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen,” they said in a statement. “It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages.”
However, there is no such thing as a part-time royal. Once the duke and duchess attend the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in London on March 9 as president and vice-president of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, they will have completed their royal duties for good.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Frogmore Cottage staff has been reassigned
Though the Sussexes will be paying rent at Frogmore Cottage, which is still their official U.K. residence, their household staff has been reassigned. According to the Sussexes’ new website,
Frogmore Cottage will continue to be the property of Her Majesty the Queen. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will continue to use Frogmore Cottage – with the permission of Her Majesty The Queen – as their official residence as they continue to support the Monarchy.
However, their staff has been reassigned to other royal households. “In quiet periods staff are often redeployed elsewhere around the estate,” an insider told CNN. “No members of staff have been let go.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have closed their Buckingham Palace office
Though they still have a U.K. home base, the Sussexes no longer have a royal office. Daily Mail is reporting that the pair have officially let go of the 15 staffers they had. While one or two of them have been reassigned, the majority have been laid off. Among them are recently-appointed private secretary, Fiona Mcilwham and their head of communications Sara Latham. The Palace has made no comments on staffing changes.
“Given their decision to step back, an office at Buckingham Palace is no longer needed,” an alleged insider told Daily Mail. “While the details are still being finalised and efforts are being made to redeploy people within the royal household, unfortunately, there will be some redundancies. The team are very loyal to the Sussexes and understand and respect the decision they have taken. They are all close and supporting each other. The team are busy helping to set their Royal Highnesses up for the future and working on a series of final engagements.”
This is a major hint that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will mostly be living in North America.