Prince William & Kate Middleton Are Hiring Meghan & Harry’s Former Social Media Expert

You didn’t think that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s old staff would get kicked to curb so easily now, did you? If anything, the royals like to keep their inner circle small, working with tried-and-true loyal staffers. So, yes, Prince William and Kate Middleton’s new social media expert just so happens to be a former employee of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The pair wasted no time in scooping him up following Meghan and Harry’s royal exit.

A social media whiz, 27-year-old David Watkins made a name for himself as Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan Markle, 38, opened their @SussexRoyal Instagram account. He quickly catapulted it to the following it has now (upwards of 11 million followers) acting as the Sussexes’ “secret weapon”—bringing his eye for sweet portraits, tender branding, and all.

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But in the wake of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s royal exit, however, they ultimately fired their staff at Buckingham Palace. Which, given their last post on Instagram marking their final departure, we know Watkins was included in those staff cuts.

According to Watkins’ LinkedIn account, however, he’s still expected to play a role in the royal family. Prince William, 37, and Kate Middleton, 38, have reportedly hired the social media manager on as their Digital Communications and Social Media lead.

If his job description from his former bosses provides any indication, we can expect to see Watkins still “overseeing the day-to-day management of Brand Strategy, Digital, Comms, Content Creation, Copywriting, Collaborations & Risk Management.” No big deal.

Already, a peek at the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s account—a.k.a. @kensingtonroyal—brings about a very familiar feeling à la the Sussexes. Really, though, we know now it’s Watkins’ keen “philosophies” to “build relationships and deliver excellent customer experiences.” Evidently, that looks like these sweet family photos in honor of Mother’s Day in the U.K., and adorable videos of Kate and William’s kids, George, 6, Charlotte, 4, and Louis, 1.