Another day, another defection from the Sussex camp. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s team is hemorrhaging staff, with four more employees, including their LA-based deputy press secretary and UK press officer, bolting in recent weeks. Over the past year, the couple’s private team has seen a revolving door of talent, with key figures like their chief of staff and global press secretary exiting in 2024, followed by the latest departures reported on June 13, 2025.

According to the New York Post, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are struggling to keep their operation together while facing relentless public scrutiny. It’s a tough gig when even the hired help can’t stick around.

In 2024, Josh Kettler, their chief of staff, lasted just three months before a “mutual” exit, reportedly because he wasn’t the right fit. Ashley Hansen, their global press secretary, also left in October to launch her own business. These aren’t minor roles; they’re the backbone of any high-profile operation.

High-Profile Hires, Short-Term Stays

Desperate to stabilize, Harry and Meghan brought in heavy hitters in 2025. Meredith Kendall Maines, with a resume boasting Google and Hulu, was hired as their first chief communications officer. Emily Robinson, who handled publicity for Netflix’s “The Crown,” joined as director of communications.

“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,” Maines told The Post. Sounds like a plan, but hiring top talent doesn’t help if they don’t stay. The corporate jargon can’t mask the chaos.

“Transitioning to an agency support staff of eight, operating across five different time zones, will give international media better access,” Maines added. Global reach is great, but it’s hard to sell efficiency when your team keeps jumping ship. Maybe the problem isn’t the structure—it’s the bosses.

Insiders Point to Dysfunction

An insider told Hello!, “Meghan and Harry have hired some of the most incredible people at the top of their fields, yet somehow none of them ever work out.” That’s not a glowing endorsement. It’s a polite way of saying something’s rotten in Montecito.

“Something tells me there will be another change in the future,” the insider added. No crystal ball needed here—when your team’s turnover rivals a fast-food joint, more exits are inevitable. The Sussexes’ inability to retain staff raises questions about their leadership.

Kyle Boulia, their LA-based deputy press secretary, and Charlie Gipson, their UK press officer, are the latest to leave, alongside at least two others in recent weeks. That’s four people out the door in a matter of weeks. For a couple obsessed with controlling their narrative, losing their PR team is a brutal blow.

Public Missteps Fuel Criticism

Meghan’s lifestyle brand, originally called “American Riviera Orchard,” hit a snag when trademark issues forced a rebrand to “As Ever.” The brand, peddling jams, teas, and cookie mixes, is now eyeing hotels and restaurants. Ambitious, but critics smell another overreach from a couple struggling to stay relevant.

In early June 2025, Meghan shared a 2021 delivery room dance video to mark Princess Lilibet’s fourth birthday, a move some called “cringeworthy.” A source told Daily Mail, “Meghan is very pleased with the video. In the UK, everyone’s reaction has been a bit prudish, but in America, it has been a huge hit.”

Pleasing American teens is one thing, but the backlash in Britain suggests Meghan’s tone-deaf PR stunts aren’t winning hearts across the pond. The video’s timing, amid staff exits and brand fumbles, only amplifies the perception of a couple out of touch. Optics matter, and theirs are blurry.

Personal Struggles in the Spotlight

Prince Harry, meanwhile, opened up in a May 2025 BBC interview about his fractured family ties. “There have been so many disagreements between me and some of my family,” he said. “I would love reconciliation with my family. There’s no point continuing to fight anymore. Life is precious.”

His plea for peace, especially with King Charles III battling cancer, tugs at the heartstrings. But airing family drama while losing staff and security battles—Harry lost an appeal for taxpayer-funded UK protection—makes reconciliation look like a pipe dream. Sympathy only goes so far when you’re your own worst enemy.

With two young children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4, Harry and Meghan’s stakes are high. Yet their professional missteps and inability to keep a cohesive team suggest a deeper dysfunction. For a couple who left royalty for freedom, they’re finding that freedom comes with a brutal spotlight.