Harry & Meghan’s New Out of Office Email Signifies the End of an Era: ‘Now Closed'

Published Apr 1, 2020

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12:43pm

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are officially retired from their lives as senior members of the royal family. And while it will still take some time for us to get used to their transition, the couple’s out of office message is clear as day.

Yesterday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s former communication team issued a statement saying, “Effective March 31, 2020, no other Royal communications representatives act on behalf of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, including Palace spokespeople, Household representatives nor Royal sources. Going forward, Buckingham Palace will no longer comment/guide on Sussex related enquiries.”

Soon thereafter, the 35-year-old duke and 38-year-old duchess’s coms department was shut down and The Daily Mail royal correspondent Rebecca English shared the proof.

Via Twitter, English shared a screenshot of the email response she received after sending the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s former communication staff an email. The response was short and to the point: “Many thanks for your email. The office for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex has now closed.” English captioned the screen grab “It’s official…”

With the office shuttered and Buckingham Palace no longer tasked with commenting on the couple’s schedule, philanthropic endeavors or personal matters, it’s expected that the Sussexes will now hire a new team. The Duchess of Sussex and her husband were previously represented by public relations firm Sunshine Sachs, so it’s possible they’ll return there (some reports say they already have) or that she and Prince Harry will hire an internal team once they lay the groundwork for their forthcoming non-profit organization.

Either way, that O.O.O. email really means business.

Lex Goodman

Cat mom, yogi, brunch enthusiast

Lex is an LA native who's deeply obsessed with picnics, Slim Aarons, rosé, Hollywood history and Joan Didion. She joined PureWow in early 2017.

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