Staff of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex

[Dman]

What I'd really, really like to know is why there is even a need for a "problem"? Why can't this move just be something that is necessary for a couple that is taking on more and more full time royal duties and seen as a progressive move without feudin', dissin', arguin', hollerin', mudslingin' and whatever else has been assumed to be a cause?

Well, no matter how much we would like to ignore the nonsense, it was predicted by many of us and others that the press and others online would stir up this false narrative once William and Harry got married and roles started to grow. Once May, 19th 2018 was over with, it was showtime from the press point of view.

There’s nothing juicy and salacious about the Cambridge’s and Sussex’s preparing for the “Firm’s” transition to the next reign. That’s considered boring. So a juicy and salacious story have to be invented about the royal couple’s personal relationship. Something to fill the online news sites. Clickbait. Period. Who don’t want to read some royal gossip?

 

[Marlo]

Well, it was in the November release from KP announcing the split and last month Roya said there would still be some shared KP staff along with dedicated staff for Sussexes and Cambridges. Something has changed.

 

[ACO]

I hope they just use the royal family social media. I would hope that will reduce the direct focus for some of the trolls. Their own social media will just give them more fodder to feed the nastiness

Trolls will troll regardless.

I think them hiring their own press secretary instead of just using one of the ones at BP kind of signals their own pages will be created. We will see though.

 

[Lumutqueen]

I hope for their own social media. I also hope they stop updating anything Sussex on KP until the change happens and just use the royal family accounts.

Just cut the cord.

If they did stop using KP and switched to TRF, then why then create their own social media accounts afterwards? A lot of back of house work has to be done before the move which is why we've been given "Spring" as a timetable for the move.

Also, personally, having their own media sets a precedent for the future, I think combining them under the TRF Social Media allows for the same style of communication across the board, no special treatment persee.

We also have the announcement of Baby Sussex within this time frame of unknown and that's going to be huge, so they better get their acts together PR wise.

 

[tommy100]

I don't think think this is anything more than tidying up what has always been an anomaly in terms of royal households. Every other working royal/couple has their own household based at BP or for some of the cousins St James'.
The Sussex's sharing with William and Kate was never going to be long term so it makes sense that like the other royals their household is based at BP and to an extent under the oversight of the Queen's staff. That leaves both future Kings with their own independent Household while all other royals come under the Queen's.
In regards to whether other royals have their own Communications staff - I believe at one point Andrew did.

I don't this as a demotion or promotion just the royals and their staff getting on with things as they always have been done.

 

[Osipi]

Well, it was in the November release from KP announcing the split and last month Roya said there would still be some shared KP staff along with dedicated staff for Sussexes and Cambridges. Something has changed.

What has changed is that the Queen (with Charles) made decisions in relation to the "Firm" and has announced it publicly. Its probably been in the works for quite a while already and the good time to announce the plans was at the time when Meghan will be more or less taking it easy until she gives birth.

Contrary to popular opinion, the media and the royal reporters and Aunt Prissy's constantly babbling African Gray parrot are not privileged to knowing the inner workings and decisions of the "Firm" although they do like to pretend they are. Last I've heard, they've still not mastered how to morph into the proverbial fly on the wall.

 

[ACO]

If they did stop using KP and switched to TRF, then why then create their own social media accounts afterwards? A lot of back of house work has to be done before the move which is why we've been given "Spring" as a timetable for the move.

Also, personally, having their own media sets a precedent for the future, I think combining them under the TRF Social Media allows for the same style of communication across the board, no special treatment persee.

We also have the announcement of Baby Sussex within this time frame of unknown and that's going to be huge, so they better get their acts together PR wise.

Why not? It’s not as if their household is fully established yet. They will likely both be missing in action most of May and probably June. Then it’s the summer slump. So a few posts of Harry’s engagements here and there is no big deal. The official royal family account posts about everyone anyways including Tbises with their own accounts. I’m of the opinion there is no need to use Kensington Palace anymore. Just have the official account update us on Baby Sussex. Or establish their own during this time. It would actually be a great way to launch it.

 

[Iluvbertie]

No, their not minor royals. They’re senior royals. It is impressive that their official office is where the Monarch and future Monarch headquarters are located. Also, they will be to conduct their official palace engagements at Buckingham Palace.

At some point we’ll be hearing about Meghan appointing a Lady in Waiting to help her in her royal role. I expect the same from Catherine, too. This is all part of the transition, which we all know is getting closer.

The minor royals all have their offices at BP.

Senior royals have independent offices not at BP but at their own homes - William and Charles.

Minor royals are those who are not the future King. Andrew was first described as a minor royal when William was born - when he was pushed from 2nd to 3rd in line to the throne. Harry is now 6th.

Moving his office into the same set-up as Andrew, Edward and Anne's is a clear showing of his place in the scheme of things ... not important enough to have an independent office of his own.

The clear distinction between the future Kings and the rest of the BRF is being made here. This is a clear move into the next reign - independence for William and lesser royal status for Harry.

 

[Osipi]

My opinion is that Harry and Meghan are best off sticking with the Royal Family website/social media. This is the place that just recently enforced rules and guidelines for those that participate and IMO, its probably what Harry and Meghan themselves would want. They've had enough troubles with social media already that if it was me, I'd be totally turned off of using it at all. The releases there will pertain to their public roles and their special announcements such as the birth of their child.

I had to laugh at how I read Lumutqueen's post about using the TRF site. First reaction was "yeps.. that's the ticket... have *our* moderators handle things and show the trolls what's what." Then it clicked that she meant The Royal FAMILY and not FORUMS. ?

I think my mind needs a nap.

 

[Fijiro]

If they did stop using KP and switched to TRF, then why then create their own social media accounts afterwards? A lot of back of house work has to be done before the move which is why we've been given "Spring" as a timetable for the move.

Also, personally, having their own media sets a precedent for the future, I think combining them under the TRF Social Media allows for the same style of communication across the board, no special treatment persee.

We also have the announcement of Baby Sussex within this time frame of unknown and that's going to be huge, so they better get their acts together PR wise.

Prince Andrew has his own social media. So Harry and Meghan having their own social media is not unprecedented. I hope H&M get their own social medial.

.

 

[Fijiro]

The minor royals all have their offices at BP.

Senior royals have independent offices not at BP but at their own homes - William and Charles.

Minor royals are those who are not the future King. Andrew was first described as a minor royal when William was born - when he was pushed from 2nd to 3rd in line to the throne. Harry is now 6th.

Moving his office into the same set-up as Andrew, Edward and Anne's is a clear showing of his place in the scheme of things ... not important enough to have an independent office of his own.

The clear distinction between the future Kings and the rest of the BRF is being made here. This is a clear move into the next reign - independence for William and lesser royal status for Harry.

Princess Anne, the Wessexes, and the Kents all have offices at St. James's Palace.
Prince Andrews' office is at BP.
The Cambridges, the Sussexes, the Gloucesters are all at KP.


.

 

[Iluvbertie]

The offices are only temporarily being moved to St James' while the refurbishment of BP is taking place. Andrew's office will move later this year but by then either or both of Anne's offices will have moved back. When the refurbishment is finished they will all be back at BP.

For the time being and for the foreseeable future The Duke of Sussex is a senior royal. Senior Royals are defined by many experts on the BRF as royals who are Counsellors of State and their spouses.

Andrew has been described by many royal experts as a 'minor' royal since 1982 and he has been a Counsellor of State all that time and will be for at least another 13 years and probably closer to 18. Harry will probably only be a CoS for an extra 3 years to Andrew.

Edward was described as a minor royal all his life and yet he was a CoS from 1985 until 2005.

Different experts use different criteria. Using CoS is one, place in the line of succession another

 

[tommy100]

In terms of offices, at the moment with the refurbishment of BP they are all over the place as they seem to move out then back in once the work is complete. However, it appears the "norm" is that Anne, Edward and Andrew all have office space at BP, The Duke of Kent at St James' and the Gloucester's at Kensington Palace. Anne's staff recently were believed to have moved to St James whilst work at BP was undertaken.

To be honest it may well be that in time Harry&Meghan's office staff are based at St James physically but the statement makes clear they would come under BP organisationally.

 

[Countessmeout]

If they did stop using KP and switched to TRF, then why then create their own social media accounts afterwards? A lot of back of house work has to be done before the move which is why we've been given "Spring" as a timetable for the move.

Also, personally, having their own media sets a precedent for the future, I think combining them under the TRF Social Media allows for the same style of communication across the board, no special treatment persee.

We also have the announcement of Baby Sussex within this time frame of unknown and that's going to be huge, so they better get their acts together PR wise.

How is it setting their own precedent or special treatment

Not all of the royals are under some blanket 'press secratary'. The senior royals have their own households. Social media is just one aspect of that. Charles and Camilla use Clarence house. The Duke of York has his own twitter and Instagram. Kate and William, and until now the Sussexes, used Kensington palace. That is why statements, announcements and other events are announced separately.

Its not special treatment. Its simply instead of the household of the Cambridges and Sussexes sharing social media, they have separate. Considering they will have different press secretaries, only makes sense they would have their own media accounts as well.


Social media is becoming more and more important. It is a huge source of promoting charities and work that they do. The royals are only going to become more savy with it. Harry and Meghan having their own account, for their own charities and activities is only logical.

 

[MARG]

I agree that it is the best way to disseminate information, however, should they go there they will have to employ someone to control and monitor it, And delete the trolls who will be ecstatic that there is yet another avenue to spread their particular brand of poison.

 

[soapstar]

The discussion about who is and isn't a senior royal, is going around in circles. Let's please move on from that.

A few posts speculating about whether Jason Knauf (or KP staff) were against Harry and Meghan have been deleted. As a previous mod note stated, "Let's try to keep to facts, not overt speculation." Also please remember our forum rules:

Whenever possible, opinions should be based on factual information obtained from reputable sources and should be backed up by references to those sources. The moderators reserve the right to delete posts containing the more fanciful types of gossip and speculation, whether they originate in gossip magazines and websites or are simply fabricated.

Any further speculative comments will be deleted.

 

[Countessmeout]

I agree that it is the best way to disseminate information, however, should they go there they will have to employ someone to control and monitor it, And delete the trolls who will be ecstatic that there is yet another avenue to spread their particular brand of poison.

How do you propose they not go there? They cant continue to use the queen's. It works for non media savy royals like Anne, but Harry and Meghan no. They already have a social media, Kensington palace's twitter. I don't see why anyone would 'monitor' it. Kensington palace twitter certainly is not, there is plenty of trolls on that. And on Clarence house. They will have an employee who helps post at times, but highly doubt they will sit around deleting tweets.

Its more of a case of when it happens then if it happens. They have not established their own household and staff yet. Decisions about who and how their media will be run will come later.

 

[O-H Anglophile]

The British Royal Family's approach to social media trolls was very recently given a new policy

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/04/british-royal-family-to-block-trolls-on-social-media.html

"The British royal family has said it can delete, block or report social media users who make comments on its channels that do not meet new guidelines published Monday.
....
The guidelines apply to the social media channels run by the Royal Family, Clarence House (home to Charles, prince of Wales and Camilla, duchess of Cornwall) and Kensington Palace, social media handle for the duke and duchess of Cambridge, duke and duchess of Sussex and their Royal Foundation."

This sounds like someone will be actively monitoring social media.

 

[muriel]

I hope for their own social media. I also hope they stop updating anything Sussex on KP until the change happens and just use the royal family accounts.

Just cut the cord.

Pray why would they "Just cut the cord"?

I think them hiring their own press secretary instead of just using one of the ones at BP kind of signals their own pages will be created. We will see though.

Still not convinced why H&M need a separate Press Secretary, and why their PR cannot be handled by the BP Press Office. Any thoughts?

But she's also turned out to be something of a well-oiled working part flowing along and fitting right in with the machinery of the family firm.

She may have a strong work ethic and may be very committed to the causes she supports, but how could you possibly conclude that "she's also turned out to be something of a well-oiled working part flowing along and fitting right in with the machinery of the family firm"?

We have no idea what tensions may or may not exist within the "firm", and how Meghan may or may not have fitted in? Outside in, all we can see is several members of staff appointed to work for her leave, and in less than a year, the established household being split. I am not necessarily suggesting any tension, but I am also not convinced this has been as "well-oiled" as could possibly be expected, and that she has been "flowing along and fitting right in with the machinery of the family firm"

 

[MARG]

IMO the KP office has just sort of expanded from supporting three part-timers to supporting three full-time workers and when Meghan joined them there were suddenly four people, only one of which was used to working full-time with totally professional staff.

In all innocence, Meghan's expectations while not extreme could have come as a rude shock to some staff. Perhaps the little bird that witters in Emily Andrews ear. I could imagine that if she wanted to research something she may have asked for some background information and toddled off happily with Harry on one of his pre-wedding introduction jaunts and she would have thought that she'd have the info for the next stop before they got there. Wrong!

Frustration is a short fuse and Meghan would have been unhappy she didn't get what she needed, while the overwhelmed staff would have thought "what a b****, who does she think she is? Add the organisation of a wedding the likes of Harry and Meghan's and you have the perfect storm with Melissa trying to wrangle the staff and work with BP and the happy couple unavailable because Harry was introducing Meghan to his life.

 

[ACO]

Pray why would they "Just cut the cord"?

They are leaving KP. Might as well start it now. There is really no reason to keep using them when the they clearly wanting to separate. Just rip the band-aid off. It isn't as if there will be a ton of engagements coming up for the Sussexes, so now is the perfect time to start the transition.

Still not convinced why H&M need a separate Press Secretary, and why their PR cannot be handled by the BP Press Office. Any thoughts?

Why shouldn't they? They are going from basically having their own (shared by the Cambridges) to now having one dedicated solely to them. Maybe they didn't want to suddenly overwhelm an already stretched office by now adding the Sussexes who, we all know, attract more attention than everyone in that office combined outside the Queen.

Clearly it was decided this was the best set up for the Sussexes by everyone and worked to make it happen. Likely a win/win scenario for all involved. They can get people who focus on them while it doesn't disrupt anyone else.

 

[Kataryn]

Well, I guess people used to work for HM or princess Anne are used to such a workhorse that Meghan appears to be. I read Anne is very insistend to receive real in-depth background infos before her many Royal appointments, so I bet her people will like working for the Sussexes, too. And it surely helps that Anne sems to like Meghan, so it will positive for all concerned to see these two having more points for contact in the future.

 

[Osipi]

The paths of the Sussexes and the Cambridges are definitely geared to going in different directions hence the decision for the Sussexes to have their own household and staff based at BP. This is a wise decision to do it now.

However, the Sussexes are *not* striking it out on their own. They are still (along with the Cambridges, Anne, Andrew and Edward) an integral part of the "Firm". Its a team effort which, to me, requires their individual staffs to be able to communicate and work with other royals' staffs and offices.

If we think of the "Firm" as a business, the Sussexes are branching out into being their own "department" within the "Firm" like research and development would be a different department than advertising or human resources would be in another business. Its still all one "Firm" under its CEO "boss", The Queen.

For this reason, I think they'll stick with having their social media under the umbrella of The Royal Family. It keeps the focus on Harry and Meghan's public lives and roles and puts them squarely where they belong as part of "Team Windsor". I believe that establishing their own social media site away from TRF site or KP site will just fuel expectations from the general public and the media that Harry and Meghan will not wish to abide with. No private information, no baby pictures except official ones and the focus stays and remains on the work they're doing if they stick with the site already available.

Just my thoughts fueled by too little caffeine.

 

[Fijiro]

The paths of the Sussexes and the Cambridges are definitely geared to going in different directions hence the decision for the Sussexes to have their own household and staff based at BP. This is a wise decision to do it now.

However, the Sussexes are *not* striking it out on their own. They are still (along with the Cambridges, Anne, Andrew and Edward) an integral part of the "Firm". Its a team effort which, to me, requires their individual staffs to be able to communicate and work with other royals' staffs and offices.

If we think of the "Firm" as a business, the Sussexes are branching out into being their own "department" within the "Firm" like research and development would be a different department than advertising or human resources would be in another business. Its still all one "Firm" under its CEO "boss", The Queen.

For this reason, I think they'll stick with having their social media under the umbrella of The Royal Family. It keeps the focus on Harry and Meghan's public lives and roles and puts them squarely where they belong as part of "Team Windsor". I believe that establishing their own social media site away from TRF site or KP site will just fuel expectations from the general public and the media that Harry and Meghan will not wish to abide with. No private information, no baby pictures except official ones and the focus stays and remains on the work they're doing if they stick with the site already available.

Just my thoughts fueled by too little caffeine.

Re: your 4th paragraph - you make a really good point, Osipi.

 

[Ista]

The paths of the Sussexes and the Cambridges are definitely geared to going in different directions hence the decision for the Sussexes to have their own household and staff based at BP. This is a wise decision to do it now.

However, the Sussexes are *not* striking it out on their own. They are still (along with the Cambridges, Anne, Andrew and Edward) an integral part of the "Firm". Its a team effort which, to me, requires their individual staffs to be able to communicate and work with other royals' staffs and offices.

If we think of the "Firm" as a business, the Sussexes are branching out into being their own "department" within the "Firm" like research and development would be a different department than advertising or human resources would be in another business. Its still all one "Firm" under its CEO "boss", The Queen.

For this reason, I think they'll stick with having their social media under the umbrella of The Royal Family. It keeps the focus on Harry and Meghan's public lives and roles and puts them squarely where they belong as part of "Team Windsor". I believe that establishing their own social media site away from TRF site or KP site will just fuel expectations from the general public and the media that Harry and Meghan will not wish to abide with. No private information, no baby pictures except official ones and the focus stays and remains on the work they're doing if they stick with the site already available.

Just my thoughts fueled by too little caffeine.

Some excellent points. I think it all depends on whether the Sussexes want to be viewed as celebrities, or as members of Team Windsor. I believe there are real risks to them having their own social media accounts, and not least is the specter of Diana-like courting of attention and the press. It can be effective for a while, but at some point the cult of personality can begin to overshadow whatever benefits there might be. We'll see what they end up doing, but I'm hoping very much that they stay under that royal family umbrella.

 

[Countessmeout]

We're not talking them having separate accounts like Prince Harry public twitter, and posting his own tweets. We are talking of instead of Clarence house twitter, or Kensington Palace twitter, we have 'Duke and Duchess of Sussex' twitter. Just a press office for their own household. There is nothing celebrity about that. Unless the queen thinks herself Hollywood.

I love how anything done by Meghan is 'Hollywood'. Even when other royals do it

They aren't going to run wild. They are still 'under the Windsor umbrella'. Just like Clarence and Kensington are. They will simply have their own account. So when the Sussexes announce something it wont be 'Buckingham palace announces the Duke and Duchess of Susssex….." but will simply be the 'Duke and Duchess announce....' The royal family already works as a team, with all the households communicating together, like different departments in a company. The Sussexes would just be a new department under the same CEO, the queen.

And it wouldn't hurt for them to have personal accounts either. It seems the British royals are expected to be decades behind others. Certainly many of the continental royals have their own social media accounts. Heck the Bhutanese royals have their own facebook pages.

The British Royal Family's approach to social media trolls was very recently given a new policy

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/04/brit...ial-media.html

"The British royal family has said it can delete, block or report social media users who make comments on its channels that do not meet new guidelines published Monday.
....
The guidelines apply to the social media channels run by the Royal Family, Clarence House (home to Charles, prince of Wales and Camilla, duchess of Cornwall) and Kensington Palace, social media handle for the duke and duchess of Cambridge, duke and duchess of Sussex and their Royal Foundation."

This sounds like someone will be actively monitoring social media.

That may be true, but that doesn't mean they have someone actively doing it. Certainly not a full time job.

If you look at the social media of Kensington or Clarence you will find plenty of trolls actively posting and no one is taking it down.

I assume someone in the press office looks at it from time to time and deletes the really bad ones. But certainly they don't have a full time person just to monitor trolls. And neither will the Sussexes need one.

 

[Somebody]

We're not talking them having separate accounts like Prince Harry public twitter, and posting his own tweets. We are talking of instead of Clarence house twitter, or Kensington Palace twitter, we have 'Duke and Duchess of Sussex' twitter. Just a press office for their own household. There is nothing celebrity about that. Unless the queen thinks herself Hollywood.

I love how anything done by Meghan is 'Hollywood'. Even when other royals do it

They aren't going to run wild. They are still 'under the Windsor umbrella'. Just like Clarence and Kensington are. They will simply have their own account. So when the Sussexes announce something it wont be 'Buckingham palace announces the Duke and Duchess of Susssex….." but will simply be the 'Duke and Duchess announce....' The royal family already works as a team, with all the households communicating together, like different departments in a company. The Sussexes would just be a new department under the same CEO, the queen.

And it wouldn't hurt for them to have personal accounts either. It seems the British royals are expected to be decades behind others. Certainly many of the continental royals have their own social media accounts. Heck the Bhutanese royals have their own facebook pages.

All others have a 'palace' announce things. It would be an anomoly if it would be 'the duke and duchess announce''''.

 

[carlota]

what kind of staff do other households' (like anne's, the wessexes, etc) currently have that the sussexes will need to get? what is the typical composition of roles within a royal household of a more minor royal couple (than the queen, POW, the cambridges) exactly?

 

[muriel]

Why shouldn't they? They are going from basically having their own (shared by the Cambridges) to now having one dedicated solely to them. Maybe they didn't want to suddenly overwhelm an already stretched office by now adding the Sussexes who, we all know, attract more attention than everyone in that office combined outside the Queen.

I am not suggesting they not have staff support them, just querying why they need to have a dedicated Communications or Press team. IMO, the Comms ? Press function for the Sussex couple should just be an integrated part of the BP Press team.

 

[Winnie]

I truly believe it will all work out better and has been examined extremely well by the Queen, Philip, and Charles. It has probably been in the works since the May 19th wedding. Nothing the Queen OKs concerning her family is a spur-of-the-moment decision. She is a brilliant intelligent woman and will do exactly what she feels is in the best and most economic path for her country. By this time next year we will all be applauding the move. By that time most of that area of BP will be done and all the siblings [except future monarchs] will be once again in their proper places at the palace.