It Sounds Like the Fab Four Just Lost Another Key Staff Member

The royal Fab Four have been chugging along drama-free for a few months—going to lots of events, and probably some of Meghan's last engagements before she gives birth. So this must come as sad news: As reported in The Mirror, the four have lost their special advisor, Sir David Manning, who has been working with the royals for 10 years.

(Image credit: Stephen Pond)

By Katherine J. Igoe

published 28 February 2019

in News

Kate Middleton, Prince William, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry reportedly lost a key staff member—Sir David Manning, who served as special advisor to them for a decade.
Manning is stepping back officially because the royals are well-established in their international work, but this still comes during a time of transition for the four young royals.
Meghan and Harry have maybe, potentially confirmed the sex of their baby—go here to read that news.

This sounds like SUCH a bummer. The royal Fab Four (Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, and Princes William and Harry) have been chugging along drama-free for a few months—going to lots of events, and probably some of Meghan's last engagements before she gives birth. So this must come as sad news: As reported in The Mirror, the four have lost their special advisor, Sir David Manning, who has been working with the royals for 10 years.

As first spotted by the Twitter account Gert's Royals per the Royal Circular (which gives news about the royal family), Manning had been Foreign Affairs Adviser to William and Harry ever since they formed their own office in 2009. He went on to mentor both Kate and Meghan as they transitioned to their royal roles. Kensington Palace reportedly said that the four were "incredibly grateful" and paid tribute to "his wise counsel" upon hearing the news.

The formal reason given, per The Mirror: "It is understood that Sir David is stepping back now that the couples are well-established in their international work." He'll still act as an informal advisor as needed, apparently.

For context, there has been some turnover for the royals in the past year or so. First, it was Meghan's personal assistant "Melissa," who quit unexpectedly after a few months, then it was their interim private secretary Samantha Cohen, and then it was the Duke and Duchess's chief protection officer.

To be clear, though, this latest announcement doesn't relate to the weird, unfounded "Duchess Difficult" rumors surrounding Princess Meghan (that's what the palace staff may have allegedly nicknamed her, but there was no confirmation of that). Also, Meghan reportedly threw the staff an ice cream party, so I'm pretty sure everything is fine there. Thinking realistically here for a second, Manning is 69, so this could just be someone who just wants to enjoy a well-deserved retirement.

But, with all that said, that's a lot of change for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in a short time—and, let's not forget, Meghan and Harry are moving into their new home of Frogmore Cottage as well as having a baby soon, so it's already a time of transition.

This is Sir David Manning:

Clothing, Dress shirt, Suit, Formal wear, Shirt, Collar, Tie, Outerwear, Sleeve, Tuxedo,

And he was both a former British advisor to the U.S. and former prime minister Tony Blair's foreign policy advisor. He apparently joined the Fab Four on many of their royal tours and was an indispensable part of their diplomatic work. TBH, it sounds like he'll be very much missed.

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Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award.

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.

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