Following on from the Executive PA article two weeks ago on Josh Kettler (the man who lasted three months as chief of staff for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle) another former assistant has lifted the lid on what it’s really like working for the couple.
Catherine St-Laurent was chief of staff for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex from April 2020 until March 2021. She was also executive director of their Archewell Foundation during that time.
When she stepped down, she spoke to the media, reflecting on the role that she deemed “an incredible experience.”
She said: “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.”
Discussing the Archewell Foundation, she insisted the twosome have the potential to be “very influential leaders in the social-impact space.”
Now, Catherine has gone from behind-the-scenes to centre stage, having built her own social impact firm. Speaking to Marie Claire, the entrepreneur – who also worked for Melinda Gates – explained that her past career experiences had readied her to build something of her own.
Of her chief of staff position, she said: “It is admittedly not a well-documented or understood role. I would say chief of staff typically means something different in every organisation. For me, I think what makes the best version of it…is basically tak[ing] an approach that is, how do I help my principals?, because in this case, I was working with both [Harry and Meghan] in the capacity [of] how do I help you do your best work?”
“So for me, it was about helping to set priorities, building trust, keeping a bird’s eye view, but also sweating the details. I think it’s about acting as an advisor and a sounding board for ideas, but also providing feedback on work, and keeping certain bodies of work really focused.”
Catherine’s comments seem a stark contrast to most other staff members – Josh Kettler commented: “I don’t think I heard a single current or former employee on their staff say they would take the job again if given the chance” – and the media.
British journalist Rebecca English, for example, claimed that during a royal tour in Fiji in 2018, Meghan “turned and hissed” at a member of staff, reducing her to “tears”.
She said: “I later saw that same – female – highly distressed member of staff sitting in an official car, with tears running down her face. Our eyes met and she lowered hers, humiliation etched on her features.”
