A new year is approaching, and much would appear to be changing for the Sussexes, particularly in their PR department. First, their Chief Communications Officer Meredith Maines has taken her leave from supporting Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after only several months of working with the ex-royal pair. Right after her departure, any key member of Team Sussex is quitting: the Executive Director of their Archewell charity, James Holt.
On top of being their PR lead for several years after Megxit, Holt has been managing Archewell for Harry and Meghan since 2021, according to Daily Mail. Despite his family being in the UK, Holt has been living in California to help the Sussexes with their endeavors as both a close friend and supportive employee. He’s so close, in fact, he’s reportedly called Meghan Markle a “kindred spirit” and plans to still support Archewell from the sidelines as a senior philanthropic advisor. While royals will have several close advisors like Holt throughout their lifetime, the timing of Archewell exec’s departure is a little telling, as three key staff members of the Archewell charity have also been let go recently.
“He’s frustrated that his moving back to the UK is coming at a time of transition for the Duke and Duchess, hence his staying on for a few months yet to manage things at Archewell. He’s very protective of the couple and anxious this is going to cause them grief,” a source explains.
Online Commenters Believe Harry and Meghan Couldn’t Afford Holt Anymore
As to the underlying reason for Holt quitting Archewell and leaving Harry and Meghan behind, online rumors claim the Sussexes don’t have enough funds to afford him as an executive. Daily Mail reports that his salary for 2024 for Archewell alone was $245,000. Based on how quickly Harry and Meghan will accept any sort of PR event, special appearance, or chance to market themselves and their brand, many believe the ex-royals are hurting financially.
Several Redditors also believe James Holt is jumping ship before anything truly disastrous happens, be it their business model falling apart or their rumored divorce to actually be true. Whatever the case, returning to live in the UK is an unsurprising decision for Holt, as it is his home, and living with his family would be the ideal situation for his personal life.
Despite calling his time employed by Harry and Meghan as being “one of the great privileges” of his career, critics believe there could have been some internal drama; many ex-employees have come out saying Meghan is a nightmare to work for, so Holt’s leaving for that reason isn’t off the table. All in all, Harry and Meghan would appear to be short-staffed for the time being. Whether it’s a good or bad thing for 2026 remains to be seen, but it’s certainly not a good look for them at the moment.
