Meet Team Sussex

As the Duke and Duchess of Sussex prepare to commence their autumn schedule, we can expect to see a number of new faces by their sides. Over the summer, the couple have been involved in choosing key aides who will play an integral part in supporting Harry and Meghan as they embark on the next stage of their royal roles. In March, it was announced the Queen and Prince Charles had agreed to the creation of a new household which would be based at Buckingham Palace. With their work in the UK, Commonwealth roles, patronages, projects and their new foundation all in the works, a female-led team of highly-qualified professionals from an array of backgrounds have joined Team Sussex.

Shortly after the announcement the Sussexes' office would be based at Buckingham Palace, news a key position had been filled arrived, with Sara Latham appointed to head up their communication team. Latham brings an impressive set of credentials and experience to the table. In her current role at public relations firm Freuds, she has been tasked with leading the agency's changed agenda over the past several years. Latham worked in the White House in the 1990s for President Bill Clinton before moving to the UK as a government affairs adviser. She also served as a special adviser to the late culture secretary Tessa Jowell. She served as a transition official following the election of President Barack Obama, and worked with Hillary Clinton on her 2016 presidential campaign. Omid Scobie reports she holds dual US/UK citizenship. Sara will report directly to the Queen's communications secretary Donal McCabe.

Diplomat Fiona Mcilwham has taken on the role of private secretary for the Duke and Duchess. Fiona brings incredibly impressive credentials to the table. Also fluent in French and Albanian, Fiona became one of the youngest British ambassadors when she was appointed to Albania aged 35, in 2009. In recent years, Fiona has worked as Director for Western Balkans and Enlargement at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom. On her Twitter account, Mcilwham describes herself as "Diplomat and wannabe supermum". Scrolling through her Twitter feed, it's evident she's an ardent supporter of women's rights and empowerment. The role of private secretary is most prestigious, and Fiona brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table.

Fiona replaces Samantha Cohen who has been described as an invaluable source of support, particularly for Meghan during her first year in the role. Samantha served as one of the Queen's most trusted assistant secretaries, and following her resignation she agreed to assist the Sussexes for a short period. At the time it was described as "a personal gift" from the Queen.  Although she was initially expected to stay for six months, Cohen remains in the post until the new team is fully operational. Below, Samantha behind Meghan and Her Majesty during their visit to Chester last year.

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It is thought the couple have also hired an assistant private secretary. I've noticed a young brunette woman accompanying Meghan during events. It's quite possible she's a new member of the team.

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For their Digital Communications Lead, former Burberry global social media coordinator David Watkins takes the role. The 26-year-old represented Ireland in cricket and hockey before gaining his degree in economics and politics. Discussing his background, David writes: "I am a marketing, sporting and travel fanatic with both experiences on and off these fields, an International hockey player, Ironman and four-time marathon finisher with passion and knowledge of these sectors. Constantly challenging the status quo with a ‘start with why’ attitude, I find myself becoming more and more intrigued with finding scenarios outside of my comfort zone and asking the question 'How can I help others?" David will be heavily involved in Harry and Meghan's social media and online content creation.

On his LinkedIn page, David discusses his role at Burberry:

'As Global Social Media Coordinator at Burberry, I oversee the planning, strategy and implementation of content across all social platforms to ensure best in class content is produced across projects. During my time on the social media team, I have worked on industry defining social innovations in partnership with the likes of Apple Music, Instagram, WeChat, Facebook, Snapchat, LINE and Kakao; from working with the global Apple team and artists James Bay, Tom Odell and Paloma Faith to showcase Burberry’s iconic history with British music to the first ever brand Instagram and Facebook Live.

I have worked across publishing, content and strategy in social media since joining Burberry in 2015. This includes 20 social media platforms with 50M+ fans, influencer partnerships and platform innovations. I work closely with the Brand team, Art Direction, Production and Digital design to position Burberry as a leading social media luxury brand. In addition, I have supported and partnered on some of the largest Burberry Marketing moments, from the first ever straight to consumer fashion show, the 'complete restructure of the fashion calendar' and global events like London Fashion Week and Blondey McCoy for Burberry in New York.'

With the launch of the Sussex Royal Foundation next month, finding the right people to make Harry and Meghan's philanthropic vision a reality will have been at the top of the list of their priorities. Step forward the indefatigable Natalie Campbell. Natalie was the Director of Insight and Innovation at the Royal Foundation for eighteen months. She and Meghan reportedly hit it off immediately and Natalie was by Meghan's side as she quietly prepared for the launch of Together: Our Community Cookbook. In the video below, Natalie speaks about her admiration for the women of the Hubb: "The women embrace you, they feed you, they make you happy." Natalie takes on the role of Director for the Sussex Royal Foundation. Her Twitter bio reads: "Doing my bit to make at least one life better and having fun along the way."

Natalie's work ethic is outstanding, and in 2011 she co-founded 'A Very Good Company':

"In 2011 I co-founded A Very Good Company (AVGC), a global social innovation agency, that believed in creating a world where people could 'feel good, do good and live better'. Working with brands such as Virgin Unite, Virgin Media, Marks and Spencer, W Hotels, the Guardian and Channel 4, we put purpose, sustainability and inclusion at the heart of our work long before it was trendy and the 'thing to do'. We challenged businesses to think differently. We were proud disrupters of 'business as usual'."

Natalie is also a published author and hosts a radio show and podcast, besides being a board member of Big Lottery Fund, which distributes funds raised by the National Lottery to good causes. You can hear her talk more about the role below.

The inspirational Karen Blackett is one of the first trustees of the foundation. Karen is the chairwoman of cable television company MediaCom UK. She has worked as Chancellor of Portsmouth University, and in 2018 former Prime Minister Theresa May appointed Karen as the race equality business champion. Harper's Bazaar noted: "May appointed Blackett as the race equality business champion, a role that was part of a Race at Work charter aiming to guide businesses into promoting race equality at the workplace, according to Campaign. 'Embracing diversity and inclusion is not a choice, it's a business necessity,' Blackett said at the time. 'As the Race at Work champion, I’m committed to helping businesses address inequality at all levels by taking practical steps such as introducing apprenticeships, offering mentorships and capturing ethnicity data to create a more inclusive and representative workforce.'" In 2014 Karen received an OBE for service to media and communications.

More from the Telegraph:

'The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have appointed a leading media executive known for championing women and minorities as the first trustee of their charitable foundation, as they build their own team to shape their working futures.  

Karen Blackett, a businesswoman once named the most influential black person in Britain, has been named as a director at the new Sussex Royal Foundation. Describing herself as an “exhausted mum”, she has been awarded an OBE for services to the media industry and credited with broadening a diverse talent pool of staff. 

Ms Blackett wrote in The Guardian in 2014 on how role models can help the business world reflect the reality of social diversity, saying: "Young minorities usually have a limited number of role models, and so choose their life paths from a narrow palette of options. "I am a single mother to a five-year-old boy and I want my son to truly know that he can be whatever he chooses to be, without any barriers related to his skin colour."  

A stirring Ted Talk by Karen entitled "It's OK To Be You" in which she discusses the shocking statistic that nearly two thirds of people admit to “covering” – hiding their real personalities at work, to “fit in”.

A stellar team indeed. I'm excited to see Team Sussex in action :)