Although news of the
separation has only recently emerged, the two entities had always planned
to separate following the formation of the Archewell Foundation and have
maintained a good relationship, and even worked together from time
to time.
Sunshine Sachs worked with
Meghan when she was an actress on the TV show Suits, and Meghan remained
close to publicist Keleigh Thomas Morgan, who attended the royal’s 2018
wedding. Keleigh was said to be working with the couple to build Sussex Royal,
The Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex before they stepped back
as working royals.
At the time, the decision to
hire the firm raised eyebrows in royal circles given that traditional PR
would be handled by Palace staff. Sunshine Sachs specializes in ‘crisis
communications’ for celebrities, with an impressive roster that has included the
likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Natalie Portman, Barbra Streisand and Jennifer
Lopez.
The confirmation comes shortly
after a particularly difficult time for the pair as Harry was left heartbroken
following the death of his beloved grandmother.
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Meghan worked with Keleigh while on Suits
The couple were scheduled to
be in Europe for several charity events in early September but extended their
stay by almost three weeks after the Queen’s passing on 8 September and the
funeral on 19 September.
Harry and Meghan reunited with
his family and were seen on 10 September doing a walkabout around Windsor
with the Prince and Princess of Wales.
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Harry and Meghan joined William and Kate for a Windsor walkabout
News of the split also comes
as the pair’s multi-million dollar deals remain up in the air.
Harry, 37, is writing a
memoir with the American ghostwriter, JR Moehringer, but it was reported
that a spokesperson for Penguin Random House confirmed that it does not yet
have a publication date – and would not confirm whether or not the book would
still be released this year.
As part of their $100 million
deal with the streaming service Netflix, Oscar-nominated director Liz Garbus is
reportedly working on a docu-series about their lives, although it remains
unclear when it may be released.
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The pair were pictured with film crews in New York City
The couple rounded off 2020
with the launch of their Archewell Audio podcast series in partnership with
Spotify. A Holiday Special saw special guest appearances from Sir Elton John,
James Corden and Harry and Meghan’s son, Archie, who giggled adorably at the
end of the episode.
However, it took another 18
months for Meghan’s podcast Archetypes to be released, and new episodes have
now been put on hold for the duration of the mourning period for the Queen.
Three full episodes of the
audio series have been released since its launch on August 23, featuring
conversations with veteran tennis player Serena Williams, pop star Mariah Carey
and actress and producer Mindy Kaling.
A message on the podcast’s
Spotify page now confirms: “New episodes of Archetypes will be paused
during the official mourning period for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
II.”
The period of ‘royal mourning’
has now finished after the Queen’s funeral was held on Monday September
19.
