It’s been widely known that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have spent the past eight months pulling together their foundation, Archewell, and making arrangements for what their new life in America will be. The pandemic has f–ked up a lot of plans, but it also seems like the pandemic has given Harry and Meghan a chance to really take the time they need to plot and strategize. Well, it looks like they’re hiring some new staff too. Page Six says they’ve hired someone for their media team:
A former director of communications for the New York City Department of Education has been hired by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as part of their press team as they prepare to unveil their new non-profit.
Toya Holness will help steer publicity as the couple announces their new foundation Archewell, according to industry newsletter PR Week. Holness is joined by Christine Schirmer, former head of communications for Pinterest, who will lead the press team.
Both women are already based in Los Angeles, where Harry, 36 and Markle, 39, decamped with their son one-year-old son Archie after stepping back from their royal duties in March.
As an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, Holness spent nearly three years working at the DOE, leaving her director of communications job in September 2018, according to her LinkedIn profile.
I’m glad these women are LA-based! It would be awful if the Sussexes were trying to do everything by telecommuting. It also makes me believe that at some point, there actually will be some kind of real event, or a big announcement. Something substantive, you know? Think of how Meghan did things as a royal, compared to how everyone else in the Windsor clan does things. William and Kate prefer to do a big announcement about their plans, which often seem half-assed. Whereas Meghan always announced her sh-t when it was done and there was some kind of product to show everyone. Which makes me wonder what Meghan will have to show us when they formally launch Archewell.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
Girlfriend locked down her twitter with a quickness. She has clearly been briefed.
Archewell is coming along nicely. Can’t wait to see what they’ve been working on behind the scenes. You know when it’s announced, it’ll be fully evolved.
Exactly, I’m so excited for it. Meghan and Harry both did such good, tangible work as royals – they will do the same (or better) with Archewell.
This. I still can’t get over the cookbook and Smartwork, so practical, so impactful. I know they will do great things in the future.
Cannot wait to see what they have planned. They’ve been really busy these past few months
I’m so sure that they’ll do staggering things; that their achievements for social justice will send shockwaves around the world. The Royal Family is so foolish – what a loss; these interesting, vibrant young people, charismatic and driven by a passionate desire and will to the good, have been lost to them. As they dwindle into the dying light, trapped within their mausoleums, all they must be able to feel, should they feel at all, is bitterness. Ah, well: who needs a moribund and stagnant, racist and supremacist system such as the RF? Their loss is the world’s gain.
I love the fact that’s H&M have such accomplished people wanting to work with them. It shows that the RF and BM PR haven’t spoiled their reputations. I’m glad they also work with actual professionals when you consider how incompetent some at the palace are.
You nailed the difference between the Sussexes and the Cambridges. The Cambridges are all talk and no action.
I have no doubt when Archwell is officially launched they will unveil a major project that already done or in full swing.
Good for her and hope she enjoys her new role.
I am thrilled that they are getting good people to help them going forward. You just know nothing that supposed to be kept private will ever get out in future. They’ve pretty much sealed the leak and now only what is supposed to be out, will be.
They are making intelligent, real world hires. Glad Ms Holness locked down her Twitter. She knows the machinery of bots and racists will be sicced on her. I know the Sussexes have great plans and I for one can’t wait to know what they are.
Where are they getting money to pay all these people? That’s so worrying. They’re heading straight into financial trouble and when they fall, all these advisors and assistants will make a bolt for it in a second.
You’ve got to earn to be able to spend. Publicist, communications team, PR team, press secretary. These people need salaries. Who pays for that?
Thinly disguised concern trolling. I think their $100 million from Netflix should be sufficient
It is not your business, OLA ! Worry about bulliam and his assistant who they live a life of luxury on taxpayers’ money
They’re making money from speeches and Netflix on top of already being millionaires with money coming in from Meghan’s films and their investments. Since Archewell is most probably a non profit, it’s not like these people are getting paid extraordinarily high amounts anyway, at least not at the start
Rest easy, they have paid staff before. Anyway, unlike the rest of the RF they are not taking handouts.