The communications team supporting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is facing renewed scrutiny following the departure of their eleventh senior PR officer in just five years. Meredith Maines, the chief communications officer appointed in late 2024, has announced she is stepping down after roughly a year in the role.
A Pattern Pointing to Deeper Issues
Public relations expert Mayah Riaz told the Mirror that such a high turnover in senior communications roles is rarely about repeated poor recruitment. "From a PR perspective, a high turnover in comms almost always signals a deeper structural issue rather than a run of bad hires," she stated. Riaz explained that the environment around Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is uniquely intense, with every move analysed on a global scale and often becoming politicised.
Conflicting reports have emerged about the nature of Maines's departure. One source described her tenure as "an absolute disaster," suggesting she left to save face. However, another countered that she had enjoyed her time and left after achieving set goals, including launching projects and facilitating a meeting between Harry and his father, King Charles, in September.
The Unsustainable Pressure Cooker
Riaz elaborated on the challenges, stating that extreme scrutiny can create an impossible working environment, especially when expectations for narrative control are sky-high. "What stands out to me is the constant tension between control and credibility," she said. "When clients want to micromanage narrative, react emotionally to coverage, or pivot strategy frequently, it creates an impossible working environment."
This pressure, she argues, forces teams into a reactive mode of constant "firefighting" rather than allowing for long-term strategic planning, leading to rapid burnout. The expert also pointed to recent events that highlight potential brand confusion, such as Meghan's appearance at a Kardashian-hosted party, where photos were posted and then deleted, causing public debate.
Trust, Leadership, and Organisational Strain
Riaz indicated that in high-profile settings, internal tensions and fear of leaks can erode trust, leaving communications professionals feeling exposed and blamed for optics they didn't create. "If you’re burning through communicators, the message is not the problem - the ecosystem is," she concluded, describing PR teams as mirrors reflecting leadership style and decision-making.
For a communications team to be stable, Riaz emphasised the need for alignment and consistency from leadership. Without it, retaining top talent becomes a significant struggle. A spokesperson for the Sussexes confirmed Maines's departure, expressing gratitude for her work. In her own statement, Meredith Maines said she had "the utmost gratitude and respect for the couple and the team."
The couple have previously denied suggestions of dysfunction within their operation, characterising staff changes as part of the normal turnover for a fast-paced global entity. Nonetheless, the departure of an eleventh communications specialist in five years continues to raise pointed questions about the working dynamics at the heart of their public-facing endeavours.
