Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s right hand man appears to have been in touch with senior royal staff online. James Holt, a British communications expert who works for Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, has been engaging with Palace staff on LinkedIn, even going as far as liking posts about their royal work.
Mr Holt, who is the executive director of the couple’s Archewell Foundation, was seen to have recently liked a post by Jason Knauf, the royal aide who accused Meghan Markle of bullying Palace staff – claims the duchess has always strongly denied. This included a post about Mr Knauf’s work with Prince William, Harry’s estranged brother. Mr Holt was also seen positively acknowledging a post by senior royal aide Helen Cook, who works closely with King Charles.
As reported by MailOnline, Mr Holt – who moved to North America alongside Harry and Meghan in 2020 when they quit senior royal life – could be using LinkedIn as an olive branch to these palace aides, especially Mr Knauf, who is not only William’s friend but also the CEO of the prince’s Earthshot Prize.
This comes despite the fact that Harry and his brother Prince William are reportedly not on talking terms, having been estranged for some time.
Mr Holt, who reportedly now lives back in the UK, has not commented on the reasoning for liking these posts himself.
The gesture could also be a result of the fact that Mr Holt knows Helen Cook, who is an old friend of his, and Mr Knauf, with whom he once worked when Harry and Meghan were still working royals.
This is because before working solely for the Sussexes, Mr Holt undertook various royal roles, including as head of communications for the Royal Foundation, which involved working with Harry and Meghan, as well as Prince William and Princess Kate.
From 2019, Mr Holt then became head of engagement and communications for Prince Harry and Meghan.
He is now the executive director at Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation, a role he has held since 2021.