The Split In The Cambridge’s And Sussex’s ‘Royal Households’ Explained

Meghan and Harry will now have a different team of staff to Kate and William

Meghan Markle Prince Harry

by Sofia Tindall |
Updated on

There are some big changes on the horizon for the respective royals as Meghan and Harry prepare for the arrival of the royal baby in April and the move to Frogmore cottage, with the Duchess of Sussex now pausing her royal engagements as her due date approaches (and if you haven't yet had a chance to peruse her best pregnancy style looks - now is the time).

The other big change that's approaching for the Sussexes? Their 'royal households' will now split from Kate and William's, meaning that the two couples will no longer share staff.

The move (which is a planned one) makes sense given that going forward the Cambridges and the Sussexes will undertake very different roles in the royal family. Harry and William will take on separate monarchical commitments as the Sussexes move to Windsor. The Cambridge's and Sussex's initiatives going forward will also reflect their individual interests and commitments. As we know, being a royal is a full-time job and Meghan and Kate are likely to be pre-occupied with their own engagements and patronages following the birth of Meghan's baby, meaning less crossover in their diaries.

So what exactly will happen when Kate, Meghan, William and Harry's 'royal households' split? The term 'royal household' basically refers to the location where the staff teams for the different couples are based. While Meghan and Harry's official residence will be Frogmore cottage in Windsor, they will now have an individual team based in Buckingham Palace (Kate and Williams royal household is based in Kensington Palace).

There have also been some staff changes to reflect the splitting of the households, for example Meghan and Harry's communications will be taken charge of by Sara Latham, who was a senior advisor on Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. Meanwhile Jason Knauf (senior adviser), and Christian Jones (communications secretary) will remain on the Cambridges team.

Royal Reporter, Emily Nash tweeted confirming the 'long-planned' move:

Yes, we know it's confusing - but in summary: we can confirm the 'royal household' is in fact totally different from where the royals actually live (and you thought your postal arrangements were complicated).

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