Prince Harry, Meghan Markle

Prince Harry And Meghan Slammed As 'Tricky Customers' Over Staff Exodus: 'Something Is Wrong'

Home / Entertainment / Prince Harry And Meghan Slammed As 'Tricky Customers' Over Staff Exodus: 'Something Is Wrong'

By Favour Adegoke on August 15, 2024 at 7:00 PM EDT
Updated on August 16, 2024 at 6:54 AM EDT

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's work environment has been scrutinized following a troubling trend of staff exits since they tied the knot in 2018.

The royal couple's recently-employed chief of staff, Josh Kettler, left his position after just three months, prompting royal experts to think that "something is wrong" with working for the couple.

The employee's resignation came shortly before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's four-day visit to Colombia.

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Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Under Scrutiny Due To Their 'Revolving Door Of Staff'

Harry and Meghan attend Day Two of The Invictus GamesThe Duke and Duchess of Sussex watch the Athletics on Day Two of the Invictus Games
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have made headlines in recent years for their bold departure from the royal family and their efforts to forge a new path.

However, a troubling trend has emerged behind the scenes, raising doubts about the Sussexes' relationship with their staff.

A steady stream of staff departures has sparked concerns about their management style and the overall well-being of their team after the former "Suits" actress was previously accused of bullying two palace aides out of Kensington Palace.

British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard commented on the situation, observing that the high staff turnover means "something is wrong" somewhere in the Sussexes' camp.

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"A revolving door of staff seems to be the norm for Harry and Meghan," Chard said, per Fox News. "Eighteen members of their staff have departed their team. Sometimes introducing new staff to a team can keep ideas alive, but this is an unusually high turnover of staff and highlights that something is wrong."

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The Sussexes Are Described As 'Tricky Customers'

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
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The couple's chief of staff, Kettler, resigned after just three months. Kettler was employed on a trial basis one week before they embarked on their official visit to Nigeria. He also joined Harry on his trip to the UK for the Invictus Games 10th-anniversary celebration.

Kettler was reportedly said to be the perfect man to "guide" Harry through his next phase, but their short time working together left royal expert Chard thinking the problem didn't lie in the staff's ability to do their jobs.

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"The sad thing is all these employees have been chosen carefully," Chard explained. "They have previously excelled working for demanding bosses in high-performing companies and environments. I can only believe that Harry and Meghan are tricky customers and make it near impossible for their staff to excel in their roles."

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Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Branded 'Rudderless Ships'

Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attend the RAF100 flypast at Buckingham Palace, London, UK, on the 10th July 2018. 10 Jul 2018
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While speaking of Harry and Meghan's employee retention issue, Chard compared the couple to Prince William and Kate Middleton, who seemingly do not have a "high turnover of staff."

"The Prince and Princess of Wales, and in fact, all the working royal family, seem to keep good relations, trust, and communication with their staff," she noted. "They do not have a high turnover of staff. They steer a tight ship, and are very focused, workwise. This filters into their employees' support and work ethic."

The ace broadcaster then shared that Harry and Meghan "seem like rudderless ships," adding that they  "lack direction, jump on board many different ideas, think they are an authority on all these ideas, and then move on to something new."

Former Staff Claims Working For The Sussexes Is Like Working 'For A Couple Of Teenagers'

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle
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Royal author Valentine Low, famous for his 2023 book "Courtiers," previously described what several former staff members said about working for the Sussexes. He told Fox News that a source claimed working with the couple was "like working for a couple of teenagers."

"That's what they were like," Low claimed. "They were kind of stubborn. They were difficult. They were uncontrollable and incredibly willful. You look at all the things that Meghan and Harry did – for instance, private jets."

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"There was a time during the summer of 2019 when they took several jets in a short space of time," Low added. "And this was despite all the advice they were given. You know, 'Don't do that because you've been lecturing the world about saving the environment, and then you're on a private jet.' Which was so bad in terms of carbon emissions. But they wouldn't listen to reason. And, of course, when the media found out about it, Harry got severely criticized. But they were just difficult to deal with."

In his book, Low said that many of Harry and Meghan's former palace staff even coined the term "Sussex Survivors Club" to describe themselves after they quit working for the couple.

Harry And Meghan Face Controversy Over Allegedly Being Used As 'Political Pawns' In Colombia

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle
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Meanwhile, the pair began their official tour of Colombia on Thursday, where they'll visit the country's first "free town" for escaped enslaved people and a music festival in Cali called the Petronio Alvarez Festival.

However, they face a barrage of disapproval from Colombians who think they're being used as "political pawns" by the government to divert attention from the scandals and controversies that have trailed the administration.

"I'm sure Meghan and Harry mean well, but everyone here is talking about how obviously they are being manipulated," a Bogota lawyer told the Daily Mail.

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He added, "Of course, their star power will be used to bring attention to poor people and certain areas of culture in Colombia... but the reality is the Colombian government has been drowning in scandal since it came in two years ago. They need something to appease people at home and make them look good abroad."

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