James Holt, a steadfast figure for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during pivotal moments like Megxit and the release of “Spare,” has decided to step down from his role.
Since 2021, Holt has been at the helm of the couple’s Archewell Foundation, following his stint as their chief public relations officer from 2019 to 2021. His tenure coincided with a particularly tumultuous chapter in the couple’s lives as they transitioned away from their royal duties and relocated from the UK.
Holt’s commitment to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex took him across the Atlantic to California, where he played a notable role in the Netflix series “Harry & Meghan.” During the documentary, he offered insights into how the Brexit discourse might have exacerbated racial prejudices, potentially undermining Meghan’s “fairy tale” integration into the royal family.
Insiders reveal that Holt is now eager to return to London, where he plans to live with his husband and young child. It is suggested that maintaining his position as Archewell’s leader from abroad could present “governance issues.”
With a background as a spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, Holt worked alongside Nick Clegg during his tenure as deputy prime minister. His collaboration with Prince Harry began in 2017 when he took on public relations responsibilities for the Royal Foundation, supporting the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry.
Holt’s departure coincides with a challenging phase for Archewell, marked by the exit of three staff members, including Kirsten Slevin, the director of programs and operations. Financial records reveal that Holt received a $245,000 salary from the foundation in 2024.
Its 990 filing also shows total expenses of $5.1 million – up from $3.3 million the year before. Donations to Archewell stood at $2.1 million but it made grants of only $1.25 million.
James Holt (pictured), Prince Harry and Meghan’s ‘rock’ through Megxit, the publication of Spare and beyond, has quit
Harry and Meghan are pictured at the Project Healthy Minds gala in New York in October
Holt is pictured speaking with Harry and Meghan in the Heart of Invictus Netflix series
Holt signed off on those accounts as the charity’s executive director, but was absent in a picture of the ‘Archewell team’ at a food bank in November. He was last seen with the couple at World Mental Health Day events in October.
When this writer asked the Sussex PR team on December 14th if Holt had left, they replied that he ‘works at and for the foundation.’
The following day, the Sussex lawyers were cc’d into an exchange in which the PR wrote: ‘James returned from paternity leave after three months of paid leave and remains employed and actively at work.’
However yesterday, after renewed enquiries, they confirmed that he had indeed decided to move on from Archewell.
In a statement shared with the Mail, Holt said that working with the couple had been a ‘great privilege’ and that he had found a ‘kindred spirit’ in Meghan.
A spokesperson for the couple said that Holt will remain a ‘senior philanthropic advisor’ to the couple and Archewell Philanthropies, and will support their ‘humanitarian trips overseas in 2026.’
A source added: ‘He will be supporting the Duke with a number of engagements over the next 12 months.’
Holt (right with Harry and Meghan) has been running the Sussexes’s Archewell charity since 2021
Holt’s statement said: ‘Working with Prince Harry and Meghan has been one of the great privileges of my career.
‘From my first project with Prince Harry eight years ago to improve mental health support for soldiers in the British military, to our recent work helping injured children in Gaza, he has consistently challenged me to think bigger about how we can make a difference.
‘From the moment I met Meghan, I recognized a kindred spirit – someone who finds joy even in difficult moments and connects authentically with people regardless of circumstance.
‘Above everything else, the work we’ve done together to support families affected by online harm will remain the most meaningful of my professional life. These families are extraordinary, and they inspire me every day.
‘After five incredible years in Los Angeles, it’s time for my family to return to London. When I pass the baton to the team leading Archewell Philanthropies in the coming months, I’ll do so with immense pride and optimism for what lies ahead.
‘I’ll miss my colleagues deeply, and I’m grateful to Harry and Meghan for everything they’ve done – for me, and for the countless people we’ve worked to support.’
The Duke and Duchess released a statement which said: ‘James has been a stellar support for us for nearly ten years. His enthusiasm and talent in overseeing our philanthropic endeavours have been extraordinary.
‘As James moves his young family back to the UK, we are proud that he will continue to guide various humanitarian trips for us overseas through Archewell Philanthropies.’
A source said of his move: ‘He’s frustrated that his moving back to the UK is coming at a time of transition for the Duke and Duchess, hence his staying on for a few months yet to manage things at Archewell. He’s very protective of the couple and anxious this is going to cause them grief.’
In the 2022 Netflix show Harry & Meghan, James Holt described leaving the European Union as a ‘perfect storm that gave credence to jingoism and nationalism’.
He claimed the UK’s departure ‘gave people with really horrible views on the world a little bit more strength and confidence to say what they wanted to say, to do’.
Harry then said: ‘So the EU commissioned a report in 2016, exactly the same time that our relationship became public.
‘It warned that if the Government isn’t going to do anything or if the media aren’t going to sort themselves out, then a culture war – that already existed – was going to become huge and become a real problem.’
Historian and broadcaster David Olusoga is then filmed saying: ‘Like everyone, a lot of black Britons that I know were getting swept up in the romance and the sort of wonder of this moment.
‘But this fairytale is embedding itself in a nation that is having a pretty toxic debate about the European Union.’
There was then footage from unspecified dates and places of people waving Union flags, of someone saying ‘go back to Africa’ on a Tube train, and newspaper headline montages.
