Breaking: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Have Officially Split Their Royal Household
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal household has officially split from Prince William and Kate Middleton's.
Harry and Meghan's office will now be based at Buckingham Palace, while Will and Kate's will remain at Kensington Palace.
Sources indicate the move has nothing to do with rumors of a rift between the couples-rather, separate households were reportedly always part of the long-term plan.
Prince Harry and Meghan are splitting from William and Kate and will have their own household based at Buckingham Palace from the spring, it was announced today.
A statement from Buckingham Palace outlined the plans and was followed up by details from Kensington Palace detailing new staff appointments connected to the move.
Until now it had been thought that the Sussexs would initially keep their offices at Kensington Palace when they move their home to Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, but this latest announcement demonstrates the increasingly separate paths the brothers are now carving out in their working lives.
With William one day set to become Prince of Wales and then King, it was always the long-term plan for Harry and William to have their own households. Sources indicated last night that the move had nothing to do with any rumors of rifts between the two couples.
The official announcement came on the evening of Thursday, March 14. It reads as follows:
“The Queen has agreed to the creation of a new Household for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, following their marriage in May last year. The Household, which will be created with the support of The Queen and The Prince of Wales, will be established in the spring.
“The Duke of Sussex currently has his own private office, which has been supporting The Duchess since the engagement of Their Royal Highnesses in November 2017. This long-planned move will ensure that permanent support arrangements for The Duke and Duchess’s work are in place as they start their family and move to their official residence at Frogmore Cottage. The Queen has given permission for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex to base their Household Office at Buckingham Palace.”
As part of the plans, Harry and Meghan have appointed a new Communications Secretary Sara Latham, who has joined their office from PR firm Freuds, where she oversaw global corporate accounts with a particular emphasis on executive thought leadership and purpose-led campaigns.
Jason Knauf, who was formerly Communications Secretary to both couples, has been promoted to Senior Adviser to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Kensington Palace said Knauf's responsibilities will include advising their Royal Highnesses on their charitable initiatives-including work on the environment, mental health, and early childhood-and supporting a review of the charitable structures that underpin their work. He is replaced as Communications Secretary to the Cambridges by a new member of staff, Christian Jones.
Meghan has no more public appearances currently in her diary before baby Sussex is due but will be working behind the scenes for the next few weeks. She has told well-wishers that the baby is due in late April or early May.
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