Harry and Meghan fire top PR aides after string of humiliations, hiring controversial new firm

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have ruthlessly sacked their communications team following a string of damaging PR disasters that have plagued the couple’s post-royal life. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, frustrated by mounting criticism, opted for a brutal clear-out of their key aides, sparking fears within palace circles of an increasingly reckless media strategy.

The couple have now hired Method Communications, a US-based firm that describes itself as “disruptors” who “challenge the status quo.” The firm is reportedly the driving force behind the couple’s recent twerking video, which drew widespread mockery and fuelled concerns that the Sussexes are veering into clickbait territory.

A royal insider told The Sun: “Meghan and Harry always blame everyone else and never themselves. No one ever seems to be good enough for them and yet they fail to understand why things don’t change.”

The decision to axe staff follows a year riddled with embarrassments. In January, Vanity Fair published a brutal takedown of Meghan, headlined American Hustle, which reignited long-standing bullying allegations and portrayed her as manipulative and calculating. The damaging article reopened old wounds just as the couple tried to relaunch their public image.

February brought further chaos when Meghan’s new American Riviera Orchard food brand was hastily rebranded as As Ever, a move branding experts labelled confused and poorly executed. Simultaneously, her much-hyped six-part Netflix cookery show received scathing reviews on both sides of the Atlantic, with critics slamming it as lifeless and self-indulgent.

Meanwhile, her podcast Confessions of a Female Founder nosedived in the charts, failing to replicate the success of previous ventures. To make matters worse, Meghan was accused of breaching the 2020 Megxit agreement after she referred to herself as “Her Royal Highness” in promotional material — a title she was barred from using following her and Harry’s exit from royal duties.

In response to the mounting disasters, Harry and Meghan fired two of their most senior communications directors: UK-based Charlie Gipson and California-based Kyle Boulia. Insiders described the shake-up as a “purge” aimed at blaming staff for the couple’s floundering public image.

Adding to the exodus, Deesha Tank — a long-time Archewell Foundation employee who had worked with the Sussexes for three years — resigned just days before the firings. The couple’s head of Instagram content also quietly departed.

The reshuffle comes amid renewed tensions with the Royal Family. Harry’s hopes of mending ties with King Charles were dealt a fresh blow after an explosive BBC interview, in which he launched into an emotional tirade, effectively dashing any prospect of reconciliation.

The Royal Family is said to be watching developments closely. Palace insiders fear that the Sussexes’ new approach, guided by Method Communications, will lean even further into controversial and attention-grabbing tactics likely to embarrass the monarchy.

Despite the upheaval, Harry and Meghan continue to push forward with their independent media empire. Yet their reliance on headline-grabbing stunts and controversial messaging has raised serious concerns about the long-term damage to their reputation — and to relations with the Royal Family.

With the Sussexes showing no signs of slowing their media blitz, royal watchers and insiders alike are bracing for more drama in the coming months