Meghan Markle may have a new job opening on her staff.
The Daily Mail reports that the Duchess of Sussex’s personal assistant has “quit suddenly.” The assistant, identified only as Melissa in the report, was working for Markle at least throughout the planning process for the Royal Wedding, if not earlier. In the six months since the wedding, Melissa presumably helped Markle with the roll-out of her new charity cookbook and a 16-day tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga, and New Zealand.
Kensington Palace hasn’t publicly spoken on the matter, but an anonymous source had only good things to say about Melissa.
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“Melissa is a hugely talented person,” the source told the Daily Mail. “She played a pivotal role in the success of the Royal Wedding and will be missed by everyone in the royal household.”
The Daily Mail characterized Melissa’s departure as a shock, considering the high-profile nature of the job. The report simultaneously cited various sources that underscored how demanding it could be working so closely with Markle and the rest of the royal family.
But considering how little is actually public knowledge here, it’s interesting that the paper framed Melissa’s departure as a loss on her front, or as a shortcoming on Markle’s. Markle has been widely outspoken about empowering and supporting women, be it by espousing the value of women’s suffrage and voter equality or by supporting the positive outcome of Ireland’s historic vote on abortion or by denouncing President Donald Trump and his sexist rhetoric. While she likely felt the loss of her assistant, it is just as possible — and just as speculative as the Daily Mail’s report — to conclude that Markle might support her former employee’s career change. Maybe leaving the royals was in Melissa’s best interest: she could have found a more lucrative or less demanding job offer. She could have been influenced by developments in her personal and family life. Or, like so many people, she could have decided she needed to go somewhere else to grow professionally.
Good or bad, we wish both parties the best — and hats off to Melissa for her close behind-the-scenes work with Markle herself.