Meghan Markle's top aide Samantha Cohen resigns as Sussexes' private secretary to work for Cool Earth eco-charity
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will lose a trusted friend of the family after it was confirmed that one of their royal advisers resigned to work for a charity dedicated to reducing carbon emissions.
Samantha Cohen, 50, who has been with the royal family for 17 years, announced she will be leaving her role as the private secretary for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in October, according to The Daily Mail, with her new destination set to be Cool Earth.
Cool Earth is a UK-based international NGO that works to protect endangered rainforests to combat global warming, protect ecosystems and provide employment for local people.
Besides Cohen, other notable celebrities who support its cause include Professor James Lovelock, Dame Vivienne Westwood, Kelly Hoppen, comedian Ricky Gervais, and Sir David Attenborough.
She and the Sussexes may yet cross paths in the future. One of Cool Earth's partners is the Royal Commonwealth Society, and knowing how vocal both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are about the fight against climate change, it wouldn't be a surprise if they worked with Cohen again.
Nevertheless, they are still sure to miss Cohen, who was the woman initially tasked with guiding Meghan as she transitioned into her new life as a duchess following her marriage to Harry in April 2018.
Originally from Australia, she had worked in civil service and public relations before joining the Buckingham Palace press office in 2001. She had moved up the ranks, landing deputy press secretary in 2003 and then becoming the first woman to be appointed the Queen's assistant private secretary.
She had initially announced her resignation last year after Sir Lord Geidt, the Queen's private secretary, stepped down himself in July 2018 but eventually decided to stay to help the younger generation of royals.
Cohen was to hold down the fort until Archie's birth, working with Prince Harry and Meghan as their interim private secretary. During the time, she briefed Meghan on "the Commonwealth and the workings of the monarchy" and helped her "carve out" her new role as a royal.
"She will make sure Meghan is as happy as she can be without ruffling feathers," a palace source said about Cohen at the time. "She will represent her voice both internally and externally and fight her battles."
