Meet the PR gurus and power players at the centre of the turbulent royal storm
As the royal family rift widens and allegations of bullying fly, Katie Strick has a who’s who of the key figures at the heart of the story in this turbulent time
TENSIONS are reaching a crescendo in the rift between the Sussexes and the royals. The latest accusations are that staffers were bullied by the Duchess of Sussex. The accusations have only added fuel to the fire of the infighting between the two houses. The duchess denies the allegations, saying they are part of a “calculated smear campaign” ahead of her Oprah interview on Sunday. But who are the major players in the royal drama?
Jason Knauf
Former communications secretary to the Sussexes and the Cambridges Knauf, 36, wasn’t a stranger to crisis management when he joined the royal household in 2015. The LSE graduate had worked at the Treasury and RBS, following the 2008 financial crash. But it was after Prince Harry married Meghan in 2018 that his skills were truly tested, becoming communications secretary to both the Cambridges and the newlywed Sussexes.
It was Knauf who is said to have advised the duchess on writing the letter to her father that was at the centre of her now-successful Mail on Sunday privacy case. And it was Knauf who reported the alleged bullying to the HR department in October 2018, according to The Times. Knauf has never claimed to be at the receiving end of any mistreatment himself, but reportedly spoke up concerning three female colleagues: two personal assistants who claimed they’d been driven out of the household by the duchess, and a third staffer he wrote had been undermined. Sources claim the duke pleaded with Knauf not to pursue it but the Sussexes’ lawyers deny that the duke would interfere with any staff matter or that any meeting took place. Knauf handed in his notice a month later. He now works solely for the Cambridges.
Samantha Carruthers
Former head of HR for the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall and the Cambridges
Carruthers was reportedly the first person Knauf took the complaints to in October 2018. The HR guru, who was based at Clarence House, had worked for De Beers and investment bank Lazard before joining the royals in 2013. She left the job in August 2019. She is now deputy chairwoman of the board of trustees at childhood bereavement charity, Winston’s Wish.
Simon Case
Former private secretary to the Duke of Cambridge
Case has been dubbed “the most important man in politics you’ve probably never heard of”. At 42, he now works in government as Whitehall’s youngest ever Cabinet Secretary, but his time in the royal household trained him for politics. Case was reportedly the second person Knauf took the bullying accusations to after conversations with Carruthers. Although he worked for the Duke of Cambridge and had no managerial responsibility for the staff mentioned in Knauf’s complaint, he is said to have taken it seriously. He reportedly ensured emails were sent to HR and took a personal interest in the wellbeing of the staff member still employed by the Sussexes.
Melissa Toubati
Former PA to the Duchess of Sussex French national Toubati, 39, is reported to have previously worked for Madonna and Ayda Field. She is said to have played a central role in preparing for the Sussexes’ wedding, but quit six months into the job (her predecessor also left shortly after Meghan arrived). “Meghan put a lot of demands on her,” a source reportedly said shortly after Toubati’s departure. Both PAs signed non-disclosure agreements. Lawyers for the duchess stated that she had no knowledge of the agreements.
Samantha Cohen
Former private secretary to the Sussexes
Cohen, a “well-liked and unstuffy” but “tough-talking” Australian, spent 17 years as a secretary to the Queen but left the job in 2018 to work for the Sussexes on a temporary agreement. She is said to have been tasked with putting Meghan through six months of “duchess training” after her engagement with Harry and reportedly helped the duchess with her first official event alone with the Queen. The duke was said to have been “fond” of Cohen but sources later claimed to The Times that she was also a victim of bullying. Lawyers for the duke and duchess said they remained close to Cohen and deny bullying her.
Amy Pickerill
Former assistant private secretary to the Duchess of Sussex
Pickerill joined the Duchess of Sussex after the couple’s engagement. When she left the role in 2019, a Kensington Palace source reportedly said she’d stay in touch with the duchess.
Sara Latham
Former head of communications for the Sussexes
The British-American PR hotshot worked for Hillary Clinton and Barack
Obama but she swapped Washington for royalty when she joined the Sussexes ahead of Archie’s birth. The former Freuds partner was poached by Harry and Meghan after their wedding but was one of 15 staffers made redundant when the couple announced their move to Canada. She’s since been snapped up by Buckingham Palace.
Christine Schirmer
Head of communications for the Sussexes in California
Before joining the Sussexes in California, Schirmer, 42, worked as head of communications for Pinterest in Silicon Valley. The English and French-speaking media exec studied journalism at Northwestern University — like the duchess — and has since worked at Apple. A publicist who knows Schirmer has said: “She’s widely respected as one of the best and smartest there is.”
Toya Holness Press secretary for the Sussexes in California
Ex-footballer Holness used to work for New York’s education department and joined the Sussexes from a job in corporate communications and marketing in LA. “I get to help people tell their stories for a living,” she wrote in the bio for her Twitter, where she uses the hashtag #FightOn.
Catherine St Laurent
Chief of staff for the Sussexes Canadian communications exec St Laurent used to work for Bill and Melinda Gates. She landed the job of chief of staff in April and also serves as executive director of
Archewell. The English and French-speaking Montreal-native is understood to have met the Sussexes through their Canadian connections, including prime minister Justin Trudeau. She has two children and enjoys travelling, spinning and yoga —another of the duchess’s passions.
Edward Young
Private secretary to the Queen
Sir Edward, 53, joined the royals in 2004 after a career in finance. Insiders say he was key in the Queen’s diamond jubilee and engineering her James Bond parachute stunt at the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony. But according to The Times, he seems to have become something of a scapegoat, accused of failing to get a grip on the Prince Andrew scandal and to prevent the “civil war” that led to the Sussexes leaving for Canada.