Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's outgoing chief of staff was 'hired on a trial basis' and the decision to part ways after just three months was 'mutual' because it 'wasn't the right fit', US magazine reveals
The Duke of Sussex's chief of staff has left his role after just three months after mutually agreeing he was not the right fit for the role, it was claimed today.
Josh Kettler is understood to have been hired on a trial basis when he took up the senior post working with Harry in May ahead of the Sussexes' tour of Nigeria.
He was also expected to join the couple on their working trip to Colombia from Thursday, but the Daily Mail revealed last night that he had suddenly left his job.
Now, US magazine People has reported that 'hired on a trial basis, the decision to part ways was mutual, with both sides agreeing it wasn't the right fit'.
Back in May the publication - which is known to be friendly with the Sussexes - had claimed Mr Kettler was preparing to 'guide' Harry 'through his next phase'.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with Josh Kettler (circled) by their side while in Nigeria in May
Josh Kettler arrives at St Paul's Cathedral in London for Harry's Invictus Games service in May
Harry and Meghan have gained a reputation for losing staff as they forged ahead with their charitable and production ventures in the US.
The Sussexes are now thought to have lost at least 18 staff since they married in 2018. Nine or more have left since they left Britain for California in 2020.
Mr Kettler, who was previously chief of staff at communication platform Cognixion, travelled to London with the Duke in May to attend the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Invictus Games at St Paul's Cathedral.
He then joined the Sussexes on their three-day tour of Nigeria, which followed straight after, and was by the Duke's side as he met government officials.
But a source in California told the Mail yesterday: 'Josh Kettler is no longer working for them.'
Harry and Meghan at the State Governor House in Lagos on May 12 during their tour of Nigeria
Meghan receives flowers from a girl on arrival for a sitting volleyball match in Abuja on May 11
A former member of staff also told the newspaper: 'What may be most telling is that the entire time I worked there, 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.
'These aren't employees they had just found off the streets. Many of them are people who had previously excelled working for demanding bosses in high-performance companies and environments.'
Harry and Meghan are set to tour Colombia later this week at the invitation of the country's vice president Francia Marquez.
Ms Marquez, a lawyer and human rights and environmental activist, said the pair would join her in visiting the capital Bogota, as well as the Caribbean and Pacific regions of Cartagena and Cali.
Details of the couple's itinerary have not yet been released, but the vice president said they would engage in several activities related to safeguarding young people online and in physical spaces.
In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning earlier this month on August 4, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spoke about the impact of online experiences on young people's wellbeing
Prince Harry and Meghan at the 2024 ESPY Awards at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on July 11
Meghan and Harry have long been vocal about highlighting the threat posed to children by the internet.
They launched a new initiative The Parent Network earlier this month to provide parents with a safe and free-to-access support network to help those whose children have been harmed by social media.
In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning on August 4, Harry said the impact of online experiences on young people's wellbeing was at the stage where 'almost every parent needs to be a first responder, and even the best first responders in the world wouldn't be able to tell the signs of possible suicide'.
The so-called 'DIY royal tour' is the Sussexes's second this year, after their three-day visit to Nigeria at the invitation of the West African nation's chief of defence staff.
Harry and Meghan are set to tour Colombia at the invitation of the country's vice president Francia Marquez, who is pictured at the Festival Of Culture in New Orleans on July 6
The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office states that it 'advises against all but essential travel to parts of Colombia'. The areas affected are those shaded in orange in the above map
Harry and Meghan stepped down from the working monarchy in 2020 and no longer travel at the request of the UK Government on official overseas royal visits.
The Foreign Office warns against all but essential travel to certain parts of Colombia, with kidnapping rates remaining high.
It describes the country as 'seriously afflicted by conflict' with a resurgence in violence in parts of Colombia despite the peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) movement to end the civil war.
Harry maintained last month that it was 'still dangerous' for Meghan to return to the UK.
He lost a High Court challenge against the Home Office in February over a decision to change the level of his personal security when he visits the UK, but he has been given the green light to appeal.
During the case, the court was told Harry believes his children cannot 'feel at home' in the UK if it is 'not possible to keep them safe' there and that he faces a greater risk than his late mother, with 'additional layers of racism and extremism'.
