Prince Harry and Meghan Markle; Meredith Maines.Credit : Kevin Mazur/Getty;meredithkendall/Linkedin

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s chief communications officer, Meredith Maines, has stepped down after roughly 10 months in the role, PEOPLE can confirm, and will remain on through the new year to help with the transition.

Maines was appointed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s first chief communications officer in late February, with the couple announcing her hire on Feb. 28. She officially began the position in March and oversaw communications across the couple’s nonprofit work, business ventures and broader public profile.

A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed the change in a statement to PEOPLE: “Meredith Maines and Method Communications have concluded their work with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The Duke and Duchess are grateful for their contributions and wish them well.”

Maines also shared a statement, saying: “After a year of inspiring work with Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Archewell, I will be pursuing a new opportunity in 2026. I have the utmost gratitude and respect for the couple and the team, and the good they are doing in the world.”

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in Oct. 2025.John Angelillo/UPI/Shutterstock

Maines’ departure comes amid continued turnover within the Sussexes’ communications team. She is one of several publicists to exit the couple’s orbit since they stepped back as working royals and relocated to the United States in 2020.

A year ago, global press secretary Ashley Hansen stepped down after two years to launch her own consultancy. Earlier this summer, three communications staffers — including UK-based Charlie Gipson and California-based Kyle Boulia — also departed. Emily Robinson, who previously worked at Netflix and was appointed director of communications, left the role in October after just four months.

Maines worked in conjunction with Method Communications, the outside firm retained to support Meghan and Harry’s communications efforts, and largely handled the duchess’ public relations work. Liam Maguire, the Sussexes’ UK and Europe director of communications, who remains in his role, has primarily overseen Prince Harry’s communications.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at Game 4 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays on Oct. 28, 2025.Joe Scarnici/MLB Photos via Getty

At the time of her appointment, Maines said she was “honored to partner” with the couple and excited to help tell their story “as entrepreneurs, builders and philanthropists while overseeing all communications for the couple and their ventures.”

Before joining the Sussexes, Maines worked at Google, led communications at Hulu and served as a talent manager for American Idol. Most recently, she was with Lightspeed Venture Partners.

She was photographed earlier this year alongside King Charles’ director of communications, Tobyn Andreae, at a Mayfair private members club in London, together with Maguire. The meeting was viewed as a potential bridge-building moment between the two communications camps and came months before Prince Harry’s brief reunion with his father, King Charles, in September.

A source familiar with the couple’s communications approach tells PEOPLE that there was some initial industry curiosity around the appointment.

“There were a few eyebrows raised when Method and Meredith were retained, given their heavy background in tech, consumer PR and venture capital,” the source says, noting that the experience differed from the communications efforts typically associated with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s work.

Another industry source tells PEOPLE: “She’s deeply strategic and handled everything from the Netflix project to their philanthropic initiatives. Coming from one of the top venture capital firms and juggling multiple industries and high-stakes projects, that kind of experience is a plus.

“She’s beloved throughout the industry — she never complains and never has a bad thing to say — and genuinely enjoyed her time working with the Sussexes.”

It is believed that an agency has been lined up to replace Method Communications in supporting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in the U.S. However, the couple is not expected to recruit another chief communications officer. Instead, Maguire will take on an expanded role as lead communications director.