Meghan Markle's Latest Staff Loss Sparks Fresh Scrutiny Of The Duchess's Brand: 'The Optics Are Ghastly'

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Director of Communications, Emily Robinson, recently quit just four months after joining their team.

Though sources claim she left voluntarily, her departure adds to a string of staff exits that have raised questions about stability within the Sussexes' operations.

Experts are divided: some cite brand chaos and control issues involving Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, while others say such short-term contracts are standard in Hollywood.

According to People Magazine, Emily Robinson, who joined Harry and Meghan as their Director of Communications just four months ago, has exited her role.

Her abrupt departure, however, has sparked renewed discussion about the Sussexes' ventures in Hollywood, particularly as Meghan, 44, continues to build her profile as a lifestyle entrepreneur.

Royal commentator Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital that the move highlights the ongoing turbulence surrounding the Sussex brand.

"This most recent departure simply adds to the ongoing instability and brand confusion within the couple's discombobulated operations," she said. "It's a clear indication that Meghan Markle's ambition to reshape her public image with a polished team is failing."

Fordwich added: "The optics are ghastly as it really enforces the negative image of chaotic brand control, at best, as well as Meghan's dwindling influence."

Before joining Harry and Meghan's team in May, Emily Robinson served as Senior Director of Publicity at Netflix, according to People.

According to the publication, Robinson's decision to leave was voluntary. A source shared that she "left of her own accord," suggesting there was no internal dispute behind the move.

Still, Royal Commentator, Fordwich claims that such a swift departure from a role of this magnitude is highly unusual.

"Communications directors simply don't leave such a high-profile, global PR role after merely a few months," she said. "Such departures are rare and imply either chronic personal incompatibility or some sort of strategic disagreement regarding strategy or image development."

Robinson's resignation, however, isn't an isolated case. In June, four other staffers, including Los Angeles-based deputy press secretary Kyle Boulia and U.K. press officer Charlie Gipson, also exited their roles, both having joined the couple's organization just last year.

Doug Eldridge, founder of Achilles PR, told Fox News Digital that the latest staff change only adds to the scrutiny surrounding Harry and Meghan.

"It's unclear how much it could really damage the brand," Eldridge said. "What they've lacked is continuity — whether it's staff, message discipline, or creative focus."

Eldridge added that the constant staff turnover at the Sussexes' camp makes their brand volatile.

"It's difficult to build a solid, stable foundation when you have a turnstile of employees leaving your 'building' throughout the process. Stability requires continuity," Eldridge said.

Not everyone views the turnover as a red flag. Royal commentator Amanda Matta explained that changes like Robinson's are relatively common in the entertainment world, where projects evolve quickly and roles are often contract-based.

"Because it's Meghan and Harry, every departure gets treated as part of a pattern," Matta explained. "In reality, the Sussexes have only been operating independently for five years and are still refining what their long-term ventures look like."

She added that some level of turnover is expected as their focus shifts from start-up-style experimentation to more stable, long-term projects.

"It doesn't necessarily signal dysfunction, just a natural realignment as they build a team that fits their next chapter. If anything, the professional tone of the statement from their spokesperson underscores that this was a planned and positive transition, not a crisis," Matta said.

Royal biographer Ingrid Seward also weighed in on the Sussexes' latest staff departure, suggesting that the couple's high turnover may stem from behind-the-scenes tension.

Speaking to The Sun, Seward said, "It must be quite chaotic working for the Sussexes. They've lost so many staff. It's not that the staff stay for any length of time. They seem to make very brief appearances and then leave."

She went on to claim that the issue may lie in a disconnect between expectations and reality for new hires.

"It's obvious the job they're expected to do is not the job they imagined they would have," Seward explained. "And it looks to me as if Meghan is disagreeing with what they imagined [the Sussexes] should be doing."

Seward also stated that Meghan's intense involvement in their brand decisions could be contributing to the challenges.

"It seems to me that Meghan wants to control everything, so they certainly make some quite major PR errors," she said.