Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's 11th publicist, Meredith Maines, has resigned from her role as chief communications officer at Archewell Philanthropies.

Maines, who had been with the couple since January, reportedly made the decision before Christmas but is staying on through the new year to aid in the transition.

The timing of Maines' departure followed a brief but closely watched moment involving Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian. After sharing photos with Meghan and Harry from Jenner's Nov. 8 birthday celebration, both women quietly removed the images from Instagram the next day.

Insiders described to Page Six the episode as the "final straw" for Maines, with one source revealing, "They don't want to piss off the royal family while they are trying to reconcile."

According to TODAY, The party itself was a high-profile affair held at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's Beverly Hills home, drawing an elite guest list that included Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Bill Gates, Paris Hilton, Tyler Perry, Ciara and Mark Zuckerberg.

While the party initially seemed to go smoothly, tensions arose after the photos of the couple were deleted, with one palace insider describing the Sussexes' appearance as "so tacky."

PR Challenges in High-Profile Roles

Maines faced an exceptionally demanding role overseeing the couple's public communications.

A source familiar with her work explained to Page Six, "She's unflappable, and does not complain ... she really enjoyed her time there, but at a certain point it's time to go."

Despite her short tenure, the source added that Maines accomplished significant work, launching Meghan's podcast and TV show while managing Prince Harry's charity initiatives, noting, "The amount she was able to do in almost a year was amazing ... she did what she needed to do."

Continuing Fallout and Staffing Strains

Archewell has seen frequent staff changes in recent years, with Maines becoming the 11th communications executive to exit since Meghan and Harry stepped back from royal duties and settled in California.

At the same time, one source said tensions emerged with the Kardashian-Jenner circle, which felt the Sussexes' presence drew attention away from Kris' milestone celebration.

Despite the couple's continued visibility in media and public life, Archewell's communications operation has now been pared down to just two employees.

Tags
Meghan Markle, Prince Harry