Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are continuing to make adjustments as they start their next chapter. Sadly for the couple's London staff, that means saying goodbye. The Daily Mail has revealed that Harry and Meghan were forced to let go of 15 staff members from their Buckingham Palace office.
The couple was kind enough to break the news to staffers in person while they were in London last month. The layoffs signify the closing of Harry and Meghan's Buckingham Palace office. Hopeful royal watchers who thought Harry and Meghan might return to the UK full-time in the future see the move as another nail in the coffin.
The Buckingham Palace office staffers aren't entirely out of luck, however. A few are being considered for other roles servicing the royal family. Others are negotiating generous severance packages as they move on to their own next chapters. The loyal team was sad to learn of Harry and Meghan's decision. Still, they are supportive of the two people they've grown to know so well.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have let go of the staff members in their Buckingham Palace office. The couple broke the news to staff members in person in January, following their announcement regarding their future in the royal family, the Daily Mail reports. It's being seen as another sure sign that the couple has no intention to return to the UK permanently.
Buckingham Palace has refused to comment on the staffing move. Sources close to the family have indicated that Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, and Prince William are all aware of the changes being made.
"Given their decision to step back, an office at Buckingham Palace is no longer needed," noted one source. "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."
While Harry and Meghan's team are sad to see them go, they understand how they came to this decision. "The Duke and Duchess have a small team, less than 15 people. The team are very loyal to the Sussexes and understand and respect the decision they have taken," the source noted.
"They are all close and supporting each other," the source continued. "The team are busy helping to set their Royal Highnesses up for the future and working on a series of final engagements."
Those final engagements include the Mountbatten Festival of Music at the Royal Albert Hall on March 7, which will be Harry's last engagement as Captain General Royal Marines, which is the ceremonial head of the Royal Marines.
Harry and Meghan are also expected to join the rest of the royal family for Commonwealth Day celebrations on March 9. A few other engagements are reportedly in the works for that time period. The goal is reportedly to have the couple conclude their official royal engagements by mid-March.
As for staffers, some are being considered for other open roles within the royal family. Those who are moving on are being offered generous severance packages. "Efforts are being made to redeploy some people," the source noted. "But in truth that will be a small fraction of the total staff."
Harry will reportedly keep a small team privately employed in London. He hired the team in relation to his new eco-friendly travel initiative, Travalyst. The company launched last year and has no plans to move headquarters as of yet.
Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan are exploring options for their future. Earlier this week, the couple visited Stanford University to meet with professors and academics. Sources believe it's related to their continuing effort to create their own charitable organization.
Meghan reportedly has a deal with Disney to do voice-over work for an Elephants Without Borders documentary. The gig is likely to lead to more work in the future. "Meghan said her work with Disney is far from over. The voice-over is just the beginning and that there are more collaborations to come," a source told the Daily Mail.
It's no secret that Harry and Meghan have been slammed for their decision to step back from the royal family. Meghan has disproportionately been blamed, an issue that played a major role in them making this decision in the first place. As sources close to Meghan explain, it was a real emotional crisis for her.
Meghan reportedly "told her inner circle of friends that her soul was being crushed and that the decision to leave was a matter of life or death — meaning the death of her spirit," the source says.
"She also felt like she couldn't be the best mother to Archie if she wasn't being her true, authentic self. Something she felt she couldn't be in the royal family confines."
"She said she didn't want Archie picking up on her stress and anxiety," the source continues. "She felt like it was a toxic environment for him because there was too much tension and pent-up frustrations."
These are understandable concerns for a new mom who's struggling against the current of an institution that hasn't done much to modernize itself in the 21st century, as well as an intrusive media presence that often seemed intent on criticizing her.
Since settling into their new Canadian home, Harry and Meghan have kept a pretty low profile. "Everything pretty much revolves around Archie right now and Meghan getting back into shape," she said. "They have a daily routine of doing yoga and taking long hikes."
All eyes are on Harry and Meghan as they make their next steps. Whatever they decide will likely be ridiculed by those who felt they were better off as senior royals. You can't put a price on your sanity and mental well-being, however, and Harry and Meghan clearly have decided to prioritize that over the opinions of others.
