Resignation of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Global Press Secretary Marks Latest Career Development

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are wrapping up the year with a significant change in their team.

Ashley Hansen, their Global Press Secretary, has recently resigned from her position after serving for over a year.

The departure of Hansen, as revealed by a now-deleted report from the Sunday Times, sheds light on the reasons behind her decision to leave the core team of Harry and Meghan.

It seems that Ashley had been exploring freelance opportunities independently, but her collaboration with the Sussexes did not yield the expected results.

Despite being highly regarded within the team, tensions arose due to clients occasionally disregarding her advice.

A source close to the matter stated, “Ashley's been putting the feelers out for doing some freelance work on her own.

It hasn't worked out with Harry and Meghan.

She's really good and highly rated by the team.

It's just the clients don't always listen to the advice.”

According to the Times, Harry and Meghan had previously announced that they would no longer engage with the British tabloid media following their withdrawal from royal duties in January 2020.

An email sent on behalf of the couple to editors in April 2020 explicitly stated that there would be no corroboration or engagement from the couple and their media team, and they would no longer respond to journalist inquiries.

However, with Hansen as their communications chief, the couple's stance shifted towards a more collaborative approach with certain publications.

During the Sussexes' attendance at this year's Invictus Games in Dusseldorf in September, tabloid journalists were included in a media WhatsApp group with their communications team.

They were regularly briefed on the couple's activities, including details such as Meghan's outfits and the fact that she did her own hair and makeup while in Germany.

Hansen played a crucial role in the team since she replaced the former head of communications, Toyah Holness, in May 2022.

The American-Iranian native helped Harry and Meghan navigate through several PR challenges over the year, including managing the fallout from the Netflix docu-series “Harry's Memoir” and providing guidance during Queen Elizabeth's funeral.

It is worth noting that Hansen is not the only member of the Sussexes' team to have recently departed.

Earlier this year, Ben Browning, an Oscar-nominated British producer and former head of internal content at Archival Productions, left his position.

Farrah Taylor, who led Archival's marketing team, also left.

In addition, Mandana Dayani, the couple's top aide and president of Archival, resigned in December 2022, shortly after the release of the first trailer for Harry and Meghan's Netflix series.

Rebecca Sinanez, the former head of audio at Archival, also left her position after collaborating with Meghan on the Archetypes podcast series.

Despite these changes within their team, Harry and Meghan continue to face public relations challenges.

Following the release of the Netflix documentary and the publication of “Spare,” the couple has encountered several PR mishaps throughout the year.

However, they remain determined to take full leadership of their company, with the intention to steer it in a new direction.

In conclusion, the resignation of Ashley Hansen as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Global Press Secretary marks the latest development in their careers.

While tensions and client disagreements played a role in her departure, the couple remains focused on taking charge of their own media presence.

As they bid farewell to key members of their team, Harry and Meghan are poised to navigate the ever-changing landscape of public perception and continue shaping their own narrative.