Meghan and Harry’s former chief of staff on what it was really like to work for them
By Sarah Finnan
08th Jul 2021
08th Jul 2021
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s former chief of staff has spoken out about her time working for the couple, revealing exactly what it was like to be employed by two of the world’s most high-profile people.
If you’ve ever wondered what working for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry is actually like, then please read on because their former chief of staff has opened up about her past experiences with the famous pair.
Leaving her role as the couple’s former chief of staff to transition into a new senior advisory position at the Archewell Foundation, Catherine St-Laurent first joined the charitable organisation back in April of last year.
Well-equipped to handle the demands of taking on such mammoth responsibilities, she brought a wealth of knowledge and experience along with her – already having worked with the likes of Bill and Melinda Gates at previous jobs.
Reflecting back on her time with Meghan and Harry, St-Laurent told The Cut that it was “an incredible experience” to be able to work so closely with them over the past year. Gushing about the duo and admitting that “they are incredibly talented and creative leaders”, she went on to say that she is extremely thankful to have been given the chance to collaborate with Archewell.
“I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to do that, to be able to be with them on their journey. The time that I spent with them was incredibly fulfilling.
“I think they have the potential to be very influential leaders in the social impact space. I look forward to continuing to be a part of that,” she continued.
Speaking to Page Six about the move when it was first announced in March this year, a spokesperson for the couple commented that Catherine will “continue to bring high-level strategic guidance to Archewell, which she helped launch and build over the course of the past year”.
Also launching her own new venture just a few months ago, St-Laurent has joined forces with Rebecca Goldman to form Acora Partners – a boutique philanthropic advising and social impact consulting firm. Announcing the exciting news over on LinkedIn, she also shared a lovely tribute to Meghan and Harry, commenting that it was a “privilege” to help them get Archewell up and running in its first year.
“It’s been a privilege working closely with The Duke and Duchess of Sussex helping to establish Archewell Foundation in its first year. Their commitment to compassion and wellbeing has been the undercurrent of all our activities both within the organization as well as with impactful projects of the foundation on the ground. I am deeply proud of what we’ve accomplished together and I’m honored to remain on as an advisor.”
St-Laurent’s comments come following announcements that the palace intends on looking further into bullying accusations made against Meghan while she was still a working royal. Launched in response to an article that appeared in The Times, the report was published just days before the couple’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.
According to said report, Meghan faced bullying complaints from two palace aides during her time at Kensington Palace back in October 2018 with claims suggesting that she would “humiliate” staff and would occasionally reduce them to tears.
At the time Buckingham Palace said that it would “not tolerate bullying and harassment” and was “very concerned by the allegations”. Both Meghan and Harry have since refuted these claims.
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