Meghan turns to Queen’s special adviser Samantha Cohen

The new duchess will be guided by a palace adviser who was due to leave after a clash between royal households.

The Duchess of Sussex will be guided in her first months in the royal family by a palace adviser who was due to leave after a clash between royal households.

Samantha Cohen, the Queen’s assistant private secretary, gave notice of her resignation after the Queen’s private secretary, Lord Geidt, was ousted last year. The duchess has already held meetings with Ms Cohen, 49, who was planning to leave Buckingham Palace this summer. She has agreed to stay as interim private secretary to the duke and duchess at Kensington Palace. Ms Cohen is expected to remain as a temporary replacement for Edward Lane Fox, Prince Harry’s departing private secretary, until next spring.

It is understood that the duchess plans to spend six months discovering how to be an effective member of the royal family. She will tour the country and meet charities. “It will be six months of listening,” a source said. “She is seeking out advice from a range of people. She is going to proceed with humility. It is not going to be quiet, though. It is going to be a very busy office.

“She has worked every day of her life. She is used to a demanding schedule.”

Ms Cohen’s decision to stay on reflects the warmer relations between Buckingham and Kensington palaces than between Kensington Palace and the Prince of Wales’s household at Clarence House. It also has the blessing of the Queen and Prince of Wales. Both Prince William and Prince Harry are said to be fond of Ms Cohen.

Lord Geidt, 56, who was well regarded by the Queen, left Buckingham Palace after disagreements with Clarence House. One source said: “He ran out of road with the younger generation,” a remark taken as referring to Prince Charles rather than William and Harry. He was succeeded by his deputy, Edward Young.

When the duchess became engaged to Prince Harry, she had meetings with Ms Cohen, who briefed her on the Commonwealth and the workings of the monarchy.

Mr Lane Fox, who has worked for Prince Harry since 2013, is understood to have always planned to spend no more than five years at Kensington Palace. He handed in his notice at the end of last year but the process to find his replacement was put on hold because of the royal wedding.

The search for a successor comes at a time of major change at Kensington Palace. The Duke of Cambridge’s private secretary, Miguel Head, is also leaving this summer. He will be replaced by Simon Case, a Cambridge-educated civil servant who was principal private secretary to Theresa May. The Duchess of Cambridge has a new private secretary, Catherine Quinn, who started seven months ago. She was chief operating officer at Said Business School at Oxford university.

The Times