Meredith Maines, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s 11th publicist, has reportedly resigned days after her photo drama with the Kardashians.
The news that Maynes is stepping down as chief communications officer for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Archewell Philanthropies was announced on Friday, but she resigned from the role in mid-November, the Daily Mail reported.
Sources told Page Six that Maines’ resignation has nothing to do with the Kardashian family.
Page Six reached out to representatives for Prince Harry and Markle for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Just days before Maines resigned, the “Harry & Meghan” stars made headlines on Nov. 8 when they attended Kris Jenner’s 70th birthday party.
Prince Harry, 41, and Markle, 44, arrived hand in hand at the party at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s $175 million mansion in Beverly Hills, California.
They interacted and networked with A-listers including Kim Kardashian, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Bill Gates, Paris Hilton, Tyler Perry, Ciara, Mark Zuckerberg, and more.
After the party, the Skims co-founder and her mother shared photos of the merry-go-round, including one with the “Suits” alum and her beau.
But drama began to unfold when Kardashian and Jenner suspiciously deleted photos taken with the Sussexes.
A source told Page Six that people close to the royal family thought Harry and Markle’s appearance at the gala was “very tacky.”
“This really shows that Prince Harry is far removed from the rest of the family. These guys may be American stars, but the sheer flamboyance is at odds with what Prince William is trying to do with his life and the monarchy,” a source told Us last month.
A representative for the actress and founder of the Invictus Games asked Jenner and Kardashian, 45, to delete Instagram photos from the party, sources said.
“They don’t want to upset the royal family, who are trying to reconcile,” the source said.
Another source said the Kardashian-Jenner family was “angry with the Sussexes” for “overshadowing” what was supposed to be a “celebration of Chris.”
Ms. Maines started working for Prince Harry and Ms. Markle in January as their communications director, but has had to deal with all the public backlash the couple have endured.
On Friday, news emerged that Maynes would be leaving his role at Sussex.
A source close to Maines exclusively told Page Six, “She doesn’t get upset, she doesn’t complain… She really enjoyed her time there, but at some point it was time to say goodbye.”
“Having come from a VC and tech background, she’s used to having a lot going on all the time,” the source continued.
“Some people might have thought it wasn’t a traditional career, but I think it worked out well. What she was able to accomplish in almost a year was amazing. She launched Meghan Markle’s podcast and TV show…and looked after the prince’s charity work.”
Officials said Maynes “did what he had to do.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s charity work is currently run by just two employees.
