A short time ago, the Princess of Wales wore the same terrible Self Portrait dress to two events about five weeks apart. It really bugged me – while Kate has been wearing more repeats in the past year, she usually puts more distance between rewears. I actually wrote a piece where I wondered if Kate’s wardrobe issues were really staffing issues, as in Kate has spent more than a decade working with Natasha Archer as her makeshift “stylist,” and “stylist” was only one of about a dozen job descriptions Archer was supposedly fulfilling. I’m just saying, it never seems like Kate is surrounded by a top-notch team at any level. Around this time last year, Kate actually promoted Archer to “senior private executive assistant,” a gaudy new title with probably the same all-encompassing job description. Well, Natasha has had ENOUGH! She has sewn her last emergency button!
Kate Middleton’s longtime right-hand woman is stepping into a new chapter. After 15 years of dedicated service, Natasha Archer is departing Kensington Palace, PEOPLE can exclusively reveal. An invaluable member of the private household, Archer has made the decision to leave her palace role to set up her own private consultancy — with more details expected soon.
PEOPLE understands the Prince and Princess of Wales’ household has wished Natasha the very best for the exciting opportunities ahead.
Affectionately known as “Tash,” Archer, 37, joined the royal fold in 2010 as a personal assistant to both Princess Kate and Prince William. Over time, she became an integral part of Kate’s inner circle and was widely known for being Kate’s unofficial stylist. She was most recently the senior private executive assistant to the Prince and Princess of Wales.
With her discerning eye for British fashion, Archer was also instrumental in curating Kate’s wardrobe for countless royal engagements — including high-pressure international tours (in Australia and New Zealand, Kate wore 24 outfits in 19 days!).
Archer helped usher Kate from girl-next-door to regal style icon, championing high-end designers such as Alexander McQueen and Jenny Packham. The so-called ‘Kate Middleton Effect’ — the phenomenon of fashion items selling out after she wears them — is estimated to contribute $1.27 billion a year to the U.K. economy.
The Kate Effect = wearing doilies, Victorian sister-wife dresses and Meghan cosplay. But hey, Kate has stopped traveling for work, so at least we’re no longer getting flag-dressing. Archer was with Kate from the very start of this adventure, and I’m sure Kate will miss her. I do wonder about the timing, of course. I also wonder if Archer knows too much to ever go far – when she was promoted last year, they made a big deal about how she was visiting Kate at the hospital constantly (??) and driving Kate to and from doctor’s appointments (???). So… yeah. I hope whatever new venture Archer is undertaking, it doesn’t involve styling.
Photos courtesy of Getty, Cover Images.
