Meghan Markle’s explosive tell-all move; staffer’s abrupt exit
Meghan Markle is set to reveal more about her struggles with royal life as the Sussexes lose yet another staffer.
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Meghan Markle is set to reveal more about the harrowing mental health struggles she suffered during her pre-Megxit life as a royal in her upcoming tell-all memoir.
The Duchess of Sussex has previously told how she battled suicidal thoughts and briefly touched on the topic again in her joint CBS interview with Prince Harry earlier this month.
Sources told US magazine Closer that the royal family’s decision to snub the Sussexes from this year’s summer retreat at Balmoral had rubbed salt into the wound.
“The talk among their friends is that it’s time to take the gloves off and do away with the diplomacy,” a source told Closer.
“There’s so much demand for Meghan to speak out, whether that’s in the form of another sit-down interview or even her own memoir. She has the potential to make an absolute fortune and clear up a lot of questions.”
It came as the Sussexes’ new chief of staff exited his role after just three months.
Josh Kettler, who had been hired on a trial basis, parted ways with the House of Sussex just days before the Duke and Duchess embark on an important four-day tour of Colombia.
He’s the latest in a series of workers that have left the couple’s employ, with The Times’ royal reporter Valentine Low claiming ex-staffers refer to themselves as the “Sussex Survivors Club”.
The decision to part ways “was mutual, with both sides agreeing it wasn’t the right fit”, a source with knowledge of the split told People.
Mr Kettler began working for the couple in May ahead of the three-day tour of Nigeria, and joined the Duke in London for the anniversary of the Invictus Games.
Some counts place the number of staffers who have quit the Sussex camp at as many as 18 since they married in 2018, with half since they moved to California in 2020.
A former staffer said these aren’t “employees they had just found off the street”.
“What may be most telling is that the entire time I worked there, I don’t think I heard a single current or former employee on their staff say they would take the job again if given the chance,” they told the Daily Mail, which first reported the latest departure.
Former palace aide Samantha Cohen, who confirmed in an interview with this masthead earlier this year that she was interviewed about allegations of bullying against Meghan, referred to the high rate of turnover during her time working for the couple.
“I was only supposed to stay for six months but stayed for 18 — we couldn’t find a replacement for me and when we did we took them on tour to Africa with Harry and Meghan to show them the ropes but they left (quit) as well while in Africa,” she said.
Colombia’s Vice President Francia Márquez, said the Sussexes will visit the “vibrant locations” and experience the “rich heritage” of the South American country.
“They will have the exceptional opportunity to engage with leaders, youth and women who embody the aspirations and voices of Colombians committed to progress,” Márquez said in a statement.
The visit is part of the Sussex push to raise awareness of the work of their non-profit Archewell Foundation to counter cyber-bullying and promote online safety.
Colombia will host the World Ministerial Conference on the Elimination of Violence Against Children in November.
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Originally published as Meghan Markle’s explosive tell-all move; staffer’s abrupt exit
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