Meghan Markle will reportedly spend six months in royal training, preparing herself for the life of a British royal after marrying Prince Harry on Saturday.
According to The Times, Markle has turned to the Queen’s assistant private secretary, Samantha Cohen. The 49-year-old Cohen was planning to leave the Royal Family this summer, but has agreed to stay on as an interim private secretary for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Cohen will be the temporary replacement for Edward Lane Fox, Prince Harry’s private secretary.
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A source told The Times (via Harper’s Bazaar) that Markle will spend “six months of listening” and she is “seeking out advice on a range of people. She is going to proceed with humility. It is not going to be quiet, though. It’s going to be a very busy office.”
Although the life of an actress is very different from royalty, her experience in the spotlight as the star of USA Network’s Suits has prepared her for being in the public eye. “She has worked every day of her life. She is used to a demanding schedule,” the insider told the Times.
An insider for PEOPLE said Cohen was already advising Markle before the wedding. She is also working with a new palace aide, Amy Pickerill, to keep her office and official duties in order.
“She is a brilliant choice and has been helping Meghan adjust to the new surroundings,” an insider said of Pickerill’s work.
This all comes during a behind-the-scenes shuffle at Buckhingham Palace. In September 2017, Lord Geidt, Queen Elizabeth II’s private secretary, was forced out. Cohen, an Australian, was planning on leaving at that point, following more than 16 years at the palace. However, she was asked to stay on. With Lane Fox on the way out, Cohen was picked to succeed him as Harry and Markle’s new private secretary.
Markle might still have some training wheels on, but her first royal engagement since the wedding went off without a hitch. On Tuesday, the couple attended a special birthday party for Harry’s father, Prince Charles, where Harry delivered a speech. Markle stood alongside Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles on the stage. She looked perfect, even wearing the correct pantyhose for a royal event.
Back in February, Markle said she wanted to “hit the ground running” to support women’s rights after marrying Harry.
“I hear a lot of people speaking about girls’ empowerment and women’s empowerment — you will hear people saying they are helping women find their voices,” Markle said at the time, reports PEOPLE. “I fundamentally disagree with that because women don’t need to find their voices, they need to be empowered to use it and people need to be urged to listen. Right now with so many campaigns like MeToo and Time’s Up there’s no better time to continue to shine a light on women feeling empowered and people supporting them.”
Photo credit: Getty/Chris Jackson
