Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have given a strong indication that they are not ready to sever ties with the United Kingdom, despite their strained relationship with the Royal Family, as they expand their communication team to include a UK-based executive. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who stepped back from their roles as senior royals four years ago, have appointed Charlie Gipson as a communications executive in their office.
Gipson, who will be based in the UK, will take on the role of Director of Communications and serve as the main point of contact for UK press. This move suggests that the couple has plans to maintain a connection to the UK, even though they rarely visit and have faced ongoing tensions with the Royal Family.
In addition to Gipson, the Sussexes have also brought on Kyle Boulia as Deputy Press Secretary and Director of Communications for US media. Boulia and Gipson join the wider team, which includes Miranda Barbot, the former director of global communications who now serves as vice president of programs and media operations, and Ashley Hansen, who remains the overarching head of communications for the couple and their company, Archewell.
The hiring of a UK-based communications executive comes after Prince Harry has spoken openly about his desire to return to the UK. During an appearance on Good Morning America, he said, "My family and my life in California is as it is. I have got other trips planned. That would take me through the UK or back to the UK, so you know, I'll stop in and see my family as much as I can."
Harry recently returned to the UK to visit King Charles after the monarch was diagnosed with cancer, and he is scheduled to visit again next month for a celebration of the Invictus Games. A special service will be held at St Paul's Cathedral in London on May 8 to mark the 10th anniversary of the sporting event, which Harry established in 2014. The Duke of Sussex is expected to deliver a speech at the event, although it is unclear if Meghan will accompany him.
As the couple continues to work on new projects, including shows as part of their deal with Netflix, their expanded communication team suggests a continued effort to maintain a presence in both the US and the UK. Harry is currently filming a documentary about the world of polo, one of his favorite hobbies, while Meghan has a new cookery and lifestyle show in the works that will showcase the "joys of cooking and gardening, entertaining and friendship."
However, Meghan's project has already encountered some challenges, with her plans to return to podcasting being pushed back. A source revealed to the Daily Mail that the "smaller podcast company is struggling to get off the starting blocks," with concerns about "scheduling conflicts" between the launch of the podcast and Meghan's new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard.
Despite these obstacles, the couple remains committed to their various projects and initiatives. When announcing her new podcasting deal earlier this year, Meghan said, "Being able to support a female-founded company with a roster of thought-provoking and highly entertaining podcasts is a fantastic way to kick off 2024. Our plan to re-release Archetypes so that more people can now have access to it, as well as launching a dynamic new podcast is well in the works."
