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Here’s why a royal expert thinks the Duke and Duchess of Sussex keep losing staffers.
A familiar story about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s employees is making headlines again as they have lost six more staff members.
There are conflicting reports as some indicate the staffers quit, while others say the couple chose to let them go in what was described as a “purge” of their PR circle. According to Express, some of those who no longer work for the duke and duchess include Charlie Gipson, their Director of Communications in Europe; Kyle Boulia, their deputy press secretary; and Lianne Cashin, the former head of operations at Archewell who just weeks ago she was promoted to a senior consultant.
Meghan’s social media manager is also no longer employed either. But it’s unknown if that has anything to do with the controversial twerking video released on Instagram to mark Princess Lilibet’s 4th birthday.
Whether they were fired or quit, it’s pretty clear that job security isn’t something that comes with working for the Sussexes. Here’s more on that and what a commentator is saying about the high turnover rate.
What past employees have said about working for Prince Harry and Meghan
The reason some believe these staffers left on their own is because of what past employees have said about working for the duke and duchess, particularly Meghan.
In 2024, The Hollywood Reporter published a story after speaking to several members of the “Sussex Survivors Club” who said that “Everyone’s terrified of Meghan. She belittles people. She doesn’t take advice. They’re both poor decision-makers; they change their minds frequently.” They added that the Suits alum “barks out orders” like a “dictator in high heels.”
The ex-staffers were a little kinder when speaking about her husband, saying: “Harry is a very, very charming person — no airs at all — but he’s very much an enabler.”
Other former employees who spoke to The Daily Beast called the duchess a “demon boss” who has “psycho moments.” And that description came before Vanity Fair published a piece for its February 2025 cover story in which past employees claimed they needed therapy after working for Meghan.
Expert says working for the Sussexes is one job everyone wants to escape
Knowing all those stories have royal commentator and To Di For Daily podcast host Kinsey Schofield convinced that the individuals no longer working for the Sussexes left on their own.
During an appearance on Sky News Australia, she said: “It’s very bad when you’re working for the world’s most famous royal escape artists and it’s the one job everyone wants to escape. I think the constant turnover in Harry and Meghan’s camp isn’t just a PR issue a leadership issue.”
Schofield continued: “People don’t walk away from jobs they love. They walk away from dysfunction … Six more employees, that’s a significant number. That’s not a coincidence. We’re looking at a pattern. That’s culture, and culture comes from the top. You [Meghan] can’t build an empire when you’re burning through your architects.
“No amount of branded coffee or Instagram posts can mask the instability behind the scenes.”
