Duchess Meghan’s bodyguard has quit after less than a year, becoming the third person to leave the former Suits star’s staff.
The Sunday Times reported on Sunday, January 13, that the female bodyguard, who is not being named for security reasons, has been working with Prince Harry’s pregnant wife for six months and accompanied the royal couple on their tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga in October.
The Scotland Yard inspector’s departure follows the resignations of Meghan’s personal assistant, Melissa Touabti, who left Kensington Palace after six months, and Harry and Meghan’s private secretary, Samantha Cohen, who is set to leave this year after working for the royal family for 17 years.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visits a market on October 24, 2018 in Suva, Fiji. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are on their official 16-day Autumn tour visiting cities in Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand. Getty Images
“The bodyguard is leaving Scotland Yard entirely, not just her role as PPO [personal protection officer],” a source tells Us Weekly. “The decision to leave was personal and no reflection on her time working with Meghan, who she liked working with. She will be missed.”
The bodyguard replaced Harry’s long-term head of security, Sergeant Bill Renshaw, who retired last year after 31 years with the police, according to The Sunday Times, and her appointment to lead the security team as Meghan and Harry’s chief protection officer was considered a huge step forward for women. Scotland Yard’s Royalty and Specialist Protection branch may try to appoint another female to replace her, according to the newspaper.
The officer was thought to have been involved in the decision to rush Meghan away from a market in Fiji in October amid security concerns, according to the Times, and she was working with the couple on plans to install a state-of-the-art security system in their new home, Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, England.
The Times reported on Friday, January 11, that the pair, who are set to move to the 10-bedroom house before their first child arrives in the spring, are spending up to $3.8 million renovating their country home, which was a gift from Queen Elizabeth II.