Harry & Meghan’s Former Staffer Reveals What it Was Really Like Working for Them After Past ‘Bullying’ Claims

What’s a day in the life of one of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s staff members really like? Well, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s former chief of staff just opened up about her experience working for the couple in an interview with The Cut—and she described her time with them as “incredible.”

The 40-year-old executive, Catherine St-Laurent, spoke fondly of the Sussexes, noting that they had great “potential” to be “very influential” as they continue their work with the Archewell foundation. “It was an incredible experience,” she told The Cut in a profile published on Monday, July 5. “They are incredibly talented and creative leaders. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to do that, to be able to be with them on their journey. The time that I spent with them was incredibly fulfilling.”

St-Laurent worked as the couple’s chief of staff following their royal exit in April 2020 until March 2021, according to her LinkedIn. She also served as Executive Director of the couple’s charitable organization, the Archewell Foundation, until recently transitioning to serve as a senior advisor to the non-profit. “I think they have the potential to be very influential leaders in the social-impact space,” St-Laurent revealed. “I look forward to continuing to be a part of that.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s former chief of staff’s interview comes just a few months after Meghan was accused of “bullying” palace employees. A report by the Times of London in March cited a 2018 harassment complaint filed by the Sussexes’ communications assistant, Jason Knauf, along with sources who claimed that Meghan bullied some staffers to the “point of tears.”

The accusations came just weeks ahead of the couple’s scheduled tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, where they opened up for the first time since announcing their decision to step back from their roles as senior working members of the royal family in 2020.

At the time, a spokesperson for the Sussexes denied all claims of bullying and chalked the accusations up to a “calculated smear campaign” ahead of their tell-all special. Buckingham Palace, meanwhile, launched a formal investigation into the allegations that month. The results were originally expected to be revealed by June, however, according to the Times, the Palace’s verdict could be delayed up until 2022.