Amid intrigue, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s chief of staff has quit his role after three months in the position and being hired as the man to “guide” Harry “through his next phase”.
A source in California spoke to the Daily Mail and confirmed the latest development affecting Harry and Meghan in an eight-worded statement: “Josh Kettler is no longer working for them.”
The PR leader supported the Duke and Duchess of Sus𝑠e𝑥 on a number of high-profile events including a visit to London to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games where Harry gave a reading at St Paul’s Cathedral.
Josh was also a key figure during the Montecito-based couple’s visit to Nigeria and was by Harry’s side as he met government officials in the West African country.
The timing may be a blow to Harry and his wife Meghan as Mr Kettler would have been expected to accompany them on their tour of Colombia.
Mr Kettler joins a long line of quitters, following the exit of Bennett Levine, manager of the Sus𝑠e𝑥’s TV company Archewell Productions, who quit at the start of the year, as well as the Oscar-nominated producer Ben Browning, who quit as head of internal content at the company in January last year.
Appointed just months ago, Mr Kettler was reportedly hired to “guide him through his next phase” and he is described on LinkedIn as an experienced worker at the elite “C-suite” level, who has also worked at medical tech startup Cognixion in a chief-of-staff position.
Harry and Meghan will soon begin their tour of Colombia, at the invitation of Colombian vice-president Francia Marquez.
The pair will, she says, “have the exceptional opportunity to engage with elders, youth and women who embody the aspirations and voices of Colombians… and illuminate Colombia’s role as a beacon of culture and innovation”.
Full details of the couple’s Colombian itinerary have not been released by the Archewell Foundation, their charitable body, but the vice president said they would “engage in several activities” related to safeguarding young people online and in physical spaces.
Harry and Meghan previously received criticism for embarking upon a “royal” tour in Nigeria “all but in name” earlier this year – though many commentators hailed it as a success and a reminder of what the Firm has lost.
The couple, however, who stepped down as senior working royals in 2020, have recently been praised by their supporters for their commitment to assisting children with their mental health after the pair’s latest interview with CBS went viral online.
Highlighting the importance of understanding cyber abuse, Prince Harry and Meghan appeared in a brand-new interview for CBS News last weekend with host, Jane Pauley.
A segment of the interview shared on the popular social media platform, TikTok received attention from many Sus𝑠e𝑥 fans, with one commenting: “I love to see them out doing great things.”
It comes as Harry and Meghan are set to discuss important cyber issues during their tour to Colombia, including “cyberbullying”, “online exploitation” and how mental health impacts these threats.