One of Meghan Markle’s personal assistants has left her job at the Palace, just six months after the Duchess of Sussex’s royal wedding.
According to a new report in the Daily Mail, the assistant, who is referred to only as ‘Melissa,’ has ‘quit suddenly,’ having previously assisted the Duchess with wedding planning and, presumably, supporting her through her first royal engagements and in the lead up to her first international tour of Australia, Tonga, Fiji and New Zealand.
Though Kensington Palace has not commented on the departure, the Mail reports, a Palace source has reportedly been authorised to pay tribute to their former colleague, explaining that her decision to leave has been ‘a real shock.’
‘Melissa is a hugely talented person. She played a pivotal role in the success of the royal wedding and will be missed by everyone in the royal household,’ they said, adding ‘Why would she want to leave such a prestigious job so soon?’
NOW READ: Look Back At Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Relationship Timeline
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's relationship timeline
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle met in London in July 2016.
2 of 32Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
They were introduced by mutual friend Markus Anderson, who is the director of Soho House.
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In October 2016, the Express became the first newspaper to publish news that Prince Harry had a new girlfriend.
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On November 8th 2016, Kensington Palace released an unprecedented statement which referring to Markle as Harry's girlfriend for the first time.
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In the statement, Prince Harry condemned the 'wave of abuse and harrassment' faced by Markle, saying that he was 'worried about Ms. Markle's safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her.'
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'It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm,' the statement continued.
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The couple were papped together for the first time in December 2016, shopping for a Christmas tree in London at the Pines and Needles store.
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Later that week, they were seen on London's West End, catching a performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
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In February, Prince Harry wore a his 'n' hers bracelet on the cover of Town & Country magazine, just weeks after Markle was pictured wearing the same one on Instagram.
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In March 2017, Meghan joined Prince Harry in the Caribbean for the wedding of his friend's Tom 'Skippy' Inskip and Lara Hughes-Young.
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It was the first time that Markle accompanied Harry to a wedding, marking another milestone occasion for the couple.
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The first public event attended by the couple was the polo at Coworth Park in May 2017.
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Later in May, Markle attended the party portion of Pippa Middleton's wedding to James Middelton.
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Prince Harry was seen driving her to the event after the church ceremony.
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The couple were photographed together the following day at the wheelchair tennis.
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The couple 'broke with royal protocol' by holding hands and appearing affectionate while at the Invictus Games.
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In an interview with Vanity Fair, Meghan referred to Harry as her boyfriend numerous times, saying: 'We're a couple. We're in love. I'm sure there will be a time when we will have to come forward and present ourselves and have stories to tell, but I hope what people understand is that this is our time.'
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In early November 2017, it was reported that Meghan Markle was leaving Suits after seven series.
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Much was made of Markle's choice of outfit: ripped jeans and a white blouse called 'The Husband'.
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Although Prince Harry was sat next to First Lady Melania Trump at the event, rather than his girlfriend, she was only seated a few rows behind him.
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The couple made their first official public appearance in September, when Markle attended the opening of Prince Harry's Invictus Games.
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In mid-November 2017, bookies suspending betting on an impending royal engagement, as speculation grew that an announcement was about to be made.
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On November 27th 2017, Prince Charles announced the engagement of his younger son Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after 15 months of dating.
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The couple later appeared at a photocall, with Markle wearing a white dress coat by Canadian brand Line The Label. The website has subsequently crashed.
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The engagement ring, by Cleave and Company, was reportedly designed by Prince Harry himself, using two stones that belonged to Princess Diana.
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When asked by waiting photographers if the proposal was romantic, Harry joked 'of course!'
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The couple indulged in some PDA at the closing ceremony.
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Meghan wore a maroon midi dress with a pleated chiffon skirt by one of her favourite Canadian brands Aritzia.
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She teamed it with a matching burgundy biker jacket by Mackage.
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Prince Harry reportedly spent time with Meghan's mother Doria while at the Games too.
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Prince Harry was photographed kissing Meghan.
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In late September 2017, it was reported that Meghan had met the Queen, prompting speculation that the relationship was getting serious.
Melissa is not the only royal staffer to have left their role in recent months. In the summer, Edward Lane Fox, often referred to as Prince Harry’s ‘right hand man,’ resigned as the Prince’s private secretary, having worked in his Kensington Palace office for five years. The Palace praised his ‘hard work’ and ‘valued advice’ during ‘a period that has seen the launch and growth of the Invictus Games, countless tours around the world, and the detailed planning for [the royal] wedding.’ His role was filled by former Buckingham Palace staffer Samantha Cohen, who was said to have been tasked with bringing Meghan up to speed on matters of royal protocol; Cohen, however, is set to leave the royal household in spring 2019.
‘To lose one member of the household could happen to anyone. To lose three in a few months is starting to look like a stampede,’ another source told the Mail, in relation to the spate of departures.
It’s thought that Meghan is still being assisted by Amy Pickerill, the former royal communications offer who, earlier this year, was chosen by Prince Harry to help his then-fiancée with the transition to royal life.
Whatever the reasons for this series of departures, it seems that the Sussexes will soon be recruiting for some very important positions. If ever there was a time to spruce up the old LinkedIn profile...