In a surprising shake-up just before their South American trip, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have lost another key member of their inner circle, with a top staffer quitting his role.
After just three months on the job, Josh Kettler has reportedly stepped down as the Chief of Staff for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. According to a report by The Guardian, both parties mutually agreed that the role wasn’t the right fit.
Kettler’s departure is part of a series of staff changes within the couple’s team in recent years. In January 2023, Bennett Levine, who managed Meghan and Harry’s Archewell Productions, left the organization.
In 2022, other key members also moved on, including Fara Taylor, who led their marketing efforts; Oscar-nominated producer Ben Browning; and Rebecca Sananes, who produced Meghan’s “Archetypes” podcast. Mandana Dayani, the president of the Archewell Foundation, stepped down in December 2022 after serving for a year and a half.
Kettler began his role as Chief of Staff before Harry and Meghan’s trip to Nigeria in May 2024. Before this, he gained extensive experience from various positions at the tech company Cognixion, the clothing brand Patagonia, and other organizations.
He holds an MBA in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from Clemson University and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from San Diego State University.
Despite Kettler’s impressive qualifications, the role wasn’t a good match, leading to his departure after a trial period. Kettler was initially brought on to help guide Harry in the “new phase” of his work.
He even accompanied Harry to London for the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, a major event that Harry founded. Despite these staffing changes, the Prince and Meghan remain active in their various projects.
They are preparing for a significant visit to Colombia, having accepted an invitation from Vice President Francia Márquez. Their tour will include stops in Bogotá, Cartagena, and Cali, where they will meet with local leaders, youth, and women.
This visit is part of a broader initiative tied to Colombia’s upcoming Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children, where the Sussexes’ Archewell Foundation is expected to play a key role. “We are confident that their visit will further illuminate Colombia’s role as a beacon of culture and innovation,” a statement read.
The upcoming trip to Colombia will be Harry and Meghan’s second tour this year. Back in May, they visited Nigeria, where they met with officials, visited communities, and toured an academy.
As they prepare for their South American adventure amid Kettler’s departure as chief of staff, Meghan continues her search for a CEO to lead her cooking and lifestyle business, American Riviera Orchard.
Amid these professional developments for the Sussexes, Meghan recently made headlines for her cold behavior during an August 2024 interview with Prince Harry.
The couple broke their three-year joint interview hiatus with a compelling appearance on “Sunday Morning,” where they introduced a gripping and personal new initiative.
However, it was Meghan’s body language toward her husband that truly captured the public’s attention. Five telling photographs capture the Duchess’s cold behavior, which a royal expert revealed was a way to relay a shocking message.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Recent Interview After 3 Years
In 2024, Meghan and Harry’s Archewell Foundation unveiled a groundbreaking initiative called The Parents Network as a cornerstone of their ongoing efforts to address mental health and online safety.
This initiative was designed to support parents whose children were victimized by online bullying. The Parents Network aimed to offer resources, support, and a sense of community to those navigating the harrowing aftermath of cyberbullying and its devastating consequences.
To discuss the launch of this initiative, the couple sat down for an interview with “Sunday Morning” anchor Jane Pauley in early August 2024 — their first joint interview in three years.
During this sit-down, the couple opened up about the dangers of social media, particularly concerning its impact on young people and the alarming rise in suicide ideation linked to online interactions.
The interview included conversations with parents in the foundation’s pilot program, who shared how The Parents Network helped them heal after losing their children to online bullying.
As the conversation unfolded, Jane delved into more personal territory, asking Meghan about her decision to share her own struggles with thoughts of suicide publicly.
This topic was brought to light during Meghan’s explosive March 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey. During the interview, Meghan candidly revealed that she didn’t want to be alive anymore at one point during her time as a senior member of the royal family.
