Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Laid Off Their 15 Staff Weeks After Their Departure From The Royal Palace
- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have closed their Buckingham Palace office, axing 15 private staff.
- Some of the 15 staff members are being reabsorbed back into the royal household while most of them are negotiating severance packages.
- One of them to lose their job, Marnie Gaffney, has been appointed as a member of the Royal Victorian Order by the Queen.
- The royal couple is set to attend the Mountbatten Festival of Music on March 7 and the Commonwealth Day service on March 9.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have closed their Buckingham Palace office, axing 15 private staff. Mail Online reported that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex broke the news to their staff in person in January after they stepped down from their royal duties.
15 staff members are being reabsorbed back
Some of the 15 staff members are being reabsorbed back into the royal household while most of them are negotiating severance packages. A source aware of the situation told Mail Online,
Given their decision to step back, an office at Buckingham Palace is no longer needed.
The sources added,
While the details are still being finalized and efforts are being made to redeploy people within the royal household, unfortunately, there will be some redundancies.
Among those to lose their jobs in the royal palace include Harry and Meghan's newly appointed private secretary, Fiona Mcilwham, their communications chief Sara Latham, Prince Harry's co-ordinator Clara Loughran and her deputy Marnie Gaffney.
Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth appointed Gaffney a member of the Royal Victorian Order due to her devoted service.
Officially step back from their royal duties
The source also reported that the staff team was shocked to hear the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's decision, but they will remain very loyal to the Sussexes and understand the decision they have taken.
The Buckingham Palace staff would still be working on setting up Harry and Meghan's final engagements before they officially step back from their royal duties. The royal couple is set to attend the Mountbatten Festival of Music on March 7 and the Commonwealth Day service on March 9.
