In 2025, it felt like the Duke and Duchess of Sussex finally got a communications strategy together. A huge part of that was Meredith Maines, who was hired in February 2025 to help the Sussexes in all of their ventures, but specifically to help Meghan launch her Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, and her As Ever line. Maines also took the lead in several situations for Harry – she was the one who put together his BBC interview just hours after the High Court rejected his security appeal. Maines also flew to London to meet with King Charles’s representative Tobyn Andreae ahead of Harry and Charles’s big meeting in September. Meredith was a supremely qualified professional who finally got Harry and Meghan to be more proactive and reactive, rather than their old strategy of “maybe if we ignore it, it will go away.” Well, weird news? Meredith has left.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s chief communications officer, Meredith Maines, has stepped down after roughly 10 months in the role, PEOPLE can confirm, and will remain on through the new year to help with the transition.

Maines was appointed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s first chief communications officer in late February, with the couple announcing her hire on Feb. 28. She officially began the position in March and oversaw communications across the couple’s nonprofit work, business ventures and broader public profile.

A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed the change in a statement to PEOPLE: “Meredith Maines and Method Communications have concluded their work with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The Duke and Duchess are grateful for their contributions and wish them well.”

Maines also shared a statement, saying: “After a year of inspiring work with Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Archewell, I will be pursuing a new opportunity in 2026. I have the utmost gratitude and respect for the couple and the team, and the good they are doing in the world.”

Maines’ departure comes amid continued turnover within the Sussexes’ communications team. She is one of several publicists to exit the couple’s orbit since they stepped back as working royals and relocated to the United States in 2020. A year ago, global press secretary Ashley Hansen stepped down after two years to launch her own consultancy. Earlier this summer, three communications staffers — including UK-based Charlie Gipson and California-based Kyle Boulia — also departed. Emily Robinson, who previously worked at Netflix and was appointed director of communications, left the role in October after just four months.

Maines worked in conjunction with Method Communications, the outside firm retained to support Meghan and Harry’s communications efforts, and largely handled the duchess’ public relations work. Liam Maguire, the Sussexes’ UK and Europe director of communications, who remains in his role, has primarily overseen Prince Harry’s communications.

[From People]

It’s possible that Maines was brought in for specific goals and strategies around certain projects (like WLM) and those goals have changed and Meredith is no longer needed. It’s also possible that Maines simply got a better offer – she seems to know her stuff, and her work history is full of big-name companies. It feels likely that she was offered a lot of money to work somewhere else and that’s the only thing really behind this move. Page Six’s sources are indicating as much, that she felt like it was time to move on and “word on the street she’s got bunch of stuff lined up for the new year. And she’s very excited.”

Apparently, Liam Maguire is now stepping in as “lead” of the Sussexes’ comms. Which… I’m not sure I buy that they’re downsizing their communications team on any kind of extended basis. My guess is that Meghan’s needs changed and she’s probably going to have a team in place for As Ever, then she’ll eventually have someone in charge of her personal/professional comms.

What else? Tom Sykes was wailing and crying about how Maines obviously quit because Meghan is a “demon boss.” Which I’ve never believed, but that’s been the talking point since the Princess of Wales made Meghan cry and then lied about it for years. The whole story about “they’ve lost 11 publicists in five/six years” is not about “Meghan is a terrible boss,” in my opinion. I think the Sussexes were disorganized when they first moved to California and their “brand” is still evolving, both together and separately. I suspect the staff turnover has more to do with disorganization and lack of clarity for the Sussexes’ professional plans, as opposed to Meghan running around, making white women cry.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Avalon Red.