Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's top aides stem from the Obama administration

Updated

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are self-proclaimed feminists, so it makes sense that the couple is making history by employing the royal family's first all-female senior staff. But gender isn't the only thing the staff has in common—two of the three previously worked for Barack Obama.

Assistant Private Secretary Heather Wong currently helps build strategic initiatives for issues like HIV/Aids, youth engagement in the Commonwealth, mental health and other issues pertaining the the Sussex's patronages.

However, Wong previously worked as a political appointee in the Obama administration as Acting Assistant Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and as a spokesperson for international affairs at the U.S. Department of Treasury.

Sarah Latham, head of communications, serves as the royal couple's righthand public relations person in charge of reigning in the rumors and highlighting their hard work behind the issues they care about.

Latham currently holds dual British and American citizenship, but according to The Telegraph, previously served on Obama's transition team, helping him to secretly interview potential cabinet members for hire. She later worked as Hilary Clinton's senior campaign advisor.

The Sussexes have famously been friendly with the Obama family. Harry and Barack first met in Washington in 2015 and a year later, he introduced the first family to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and hosted them at Kensington Palace for a meeting, marking the first time William and Harry hosted a head of state privately. Since then, they've been spotted watching basketball together at the Invictus games, talking on BBC and exchanging tweets.

And just last month, for British Vogue's September issue, Meghan interviewed the former first lady and best-selling author Michelle, gaining some valuable advice on motherhood.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex most recently hired their third senior staff member, Fiona Mcilwham, who now serves as their private secretary (similar to the U.S. president's chief of staff). According to People, she previously worked with the European Union and about 10 years ago, was one of the youngest British ambassadors posted to Albania. One of her first major responsibilities will be Harry and Meghan's African tour this fall.

According to the Daily Mail, the Sussex's also employ two female press officers and have a "team of female private office employees" on their payroll. Their only male employee is in charge of the Sussex social media accounts.

Although Meghan and Harry have famously had high turnover with their staff in their first year of marriage thanks to the intense nature of the job, these women sound more than qualified to get the job done and get it done well.

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