Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are facing renewed scrutiny over the stability of their communications operation after another senior aide confirmed his departure, pushing the total number of exits tied to the couple's media and advisory team to at least 12 over the past five years. The latest move adds to mounting questions about how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex manage their public messaging as they expand commercial, philanthropic and media ventures from the United States.
The most recent departure involves James Holt, a longtime adviser who served as the couple's head of communications between 2019 and 2021 and later led the charitable arm of their Archewell foundation. His exit follows closely on the heels of Meredith Maines, who stepped down as chief communications officer after joining the organisation in March 2025.
According to the Daily Mail, Holt is the sixth senior communications figure to leave the Sussex operation in 2025 alone. His departure has renewed attention on what the publication described as a "revolving door" of staff, with some former aides reportedly removing their Sussex roles from professional profiles.
Holt had been closely involved with Prince Harry since 2017 and remained a visible figure through the couple's transition away from official royal duties and their relocation to California. A spokesperson for the Sussexes said Holt was leaving for family reasons and would "remain a senior philanthropic adviser," continuing to support Archewell initiatives and overseas humanitarian work planned for 2026.
Maines, who oversaw communications across Archewell, Meghan's lifestyle brand As Ever, and the couple's broader media output, also characterized her departure as planned. However, the Daily Mail reported that she resigned in mid-November, weeks before the move became public, following a period of heightened scrutiny over external messaging and media coordination.
Several other departures during 2025 have added to the pattern. Among them were Emily Robinson, hired in June and gone by October, as well as Kyle Boulia and Charlie Gipson, who exited during a midyear reshuffle of communications personnel.
Former staff members, cited by the Daily Mail, have described the environment in stark terms. Some referred to the role as "impossible" and "miserable," while others privately joked about belonging to what they called the "Sussex Survivors Club." One former communications figure described the workload as operating under "presidential-level constant" scrutiny, requiring continuous monitoring of traditional media, social platforms and online commentary.
In response to the turnover, representatives for Prince Harry and Meghan have consistently thanked departing employees and emphasized their contributions. The couple has also shifted toward relying more heavily on external public-relations agencies, using a distributed model designed to manage global media demands across time zones.
The restructuring comes as the Sussexes continue to pursue a broad portfolio of projects spanning content production, philanthropy and brand development. Their public profile remains unusually intense, with even routine staffing changes drawing outsized attention.
The scale of departures has become a recurring theme in coverage of the couple's operations, reinforcing perceptions of internal strain even as their public-facing initiatives continue to expand. The pattern has also fueled debate within royal and media circles about whether the pressures associated with representing the Sussex brand have made long-term continuity difficult to sustain.
