Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Fire Staff Yet Again — Archewell Down to Just Two Aides to Cut Costs
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have time and again faced accusations of workplace bullying and have had major staff shake-ups. In October, following the departure of several senior employees, the Duchess of Sussex was criticized for her unyielding ways. Now, Harry and Markle are facing fresh allegations after a report claimed three employees were abruptly fired from their former Archewell Foundation. Responding to the claims, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess issued a clarification, stating that staff redundancies among junior admin roles were inevitable.
Following their recent announcement rebranding the Archewell Foundation as Archewell Philanthropies, a report by the Daily Mail on December 21 claimed Harry and Markle fired three staff members as part of the transition. The outlet implied that Archewell is facing financial loss after contributions and grants considerably plummeted. Weighing in on the situation, their spokesperson said, "The move toward a fiscal sponsor operating model does mean that some staff redundancies are inevitable, particularly with junior admin roles." They added, "We will not be discussing these personnel details further, other than to say that we are honored to have worked with incredibly talented and caring people who dedicate themselves to helping others."
Shortly after the announcement, The Mail revealed that the newly rebranded Archewell Philanthropies had incurred total expenses of $5.1 million, while receiving donations of $2.1 million and granting out just $1.25 million. The expenses, up 54% from $3.3 million the previous year, may be linked to the Sussexes' tours of Nigeria and Colombia last year.
As for the three staff members who were laid off, they were allegedly informed of their fate just over a week ago. Among them was Kristen Slevin, the director of programs and operations, with a salary of $146,000. The three employees also claimed they were told they were being let go "because the charity was closing."
The name change to Archewell Philanthropies was reportedly accompanied by a change of operating model. It will now act as a 'fiscal sponsor' to handle donations. This change is meant to 'streamline' the organization's structure and offer 'greater flexibility' for expanding its global charitable efforts. A source emphasized that Archewell Philanthropies would remain fully charitable, tax-deductible, and compliant with IRS regulations, continuing to champion causes like mental health, responsible technology, and well-being. Originally founded in 2020 and named after Prince Archie, the Archewell Foundation is the hub of Harry and Markle's philanthropic focus.
As mentioned earlier, this isn't the first time Harry and Markle have been accused of abrupt layoffs without notice. In October, their former Director of Communications, Emily Robinson, became one of the 10 publicists to quit since 2020 in just four months. Similarly, in June, when Robinson joined, Harry and Markle allegedly fired their communications chiefs, Charlie Gipson and Kyle Boulia, who had worked with them for a year. Their shocking decision reportedly led to the other staff members leaving Markle's team.