A former chief of staff for Prince Harry, who resigned after a brief three-month tenure, has finally opened up about his experience working with him and Meghan Markle.
Josh Kettler, an experienced PR expert, raised eyebrows when he stepped down from his position shortly after being brought on board to “guide him [Harry] through his next phase”.
His exit was announced just before Harry and Meghan’s high-profile visit to Colombia, amidst rumours of the Sussexes experiencing a high turnover of staff in their US endeavours and allegations that Meghan “belittles people” and is resistant to advice.
In an interview with US Weekly, Mr Kettler, formerly of Cognixion where he served as chief of staff and head of strategic partnerships, shared insights into his time with Harry and Meghan. He expressed that he felt “warmly welcomed” by both the couple and the Archewell team.
He further commented: “They are dedicated and hardworking. It was impressive to witness.”
These remarks come amid a wave of support from past and present employees defending Meghan against claims made in the Hollywood Reporter that dubbed her “Duchess Difficult”, reports the Mirror.
Ben Browning, previously head of content at Archewell Productions who left before completing his contract, described the work environment as “positive and supportive,”. Meanwhile, Ashley Hansen, the current Global Press Secretary, stated that the Sussexes “couldn’t be more supportive”.
She effusively shared that the duke and duchess showed her immense care during her surgery, akin to “the kind of concern and care a parent would express if it were their own child,” while also sending her flowers and gifts to support her recovery.
In conversation with US Weekly, Mandana Dayani, the ex-president of Archewell, expressed her frustration at having to address these matters publicly due to “Part of the profound injustice of having to speak publicly on this in light of these endless and damaging narratives is that so much of the kindness, mentorship, and support that Prince Harry and Meghan share with others happens quietly behind closed doors”, pointing out that Prince Harry and Meghan’s acts of kindness and support are often carried out discreetly, away from the public eye.
Dayani recalled an instance where she was with Meghan as the duchess fed Princess Lilibet and simultaneously made cold calls to senators, urging them to support paid parental leave.
Back in 2021, Buckingham Palace initiated an inquiry, inviting former and current staff members to confidentially discuss their experiences working for Meghan, following allegations that she had forced out two personal assistants and that staff were “humiliated” on multiple occasions – accusations that the duchess vehemently rejects. At the time, Meghan’s spokesperson stated: “Let’s just call this what it is – a calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation.
“We are disappointed to see this defamatory portrayal of the Duchess of Sussex given credibility by a media outlet. It’s no coincidence that distorted several-year-old accusations aimed at undermining the duchess are being briefed to the British media shortly before she and the duke are due to speak openly and honestly about their experience of recent years.”
The outcome of the investigation was anticipated to be made public. However, in July 2022, it was disclosed that the findings of the review would not be included in a report on the Sovereign Grant for that year.
Buckingham Palace stated at the time that changes would be implemented following lessons learned, but declined to provide specific details.
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