Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle stepped down from their senior royal roles in early 2020 to forge their own path. Since then, the couple have moved to the US, founded the Archewell Foundation and launched a number of business ventures.

Catherine St-Laurent, who resigned as the Sussexes’ top aide after less than a year in the job, recently revealed why Harry and Meghan left the royal family. According to Catherine, the Sussexes were on the path to becoming “talented and creative leaders”.

Speaking about her time working for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Catherine told  The Cut : “It was an incredible experience. They are incredibly talented and creative leaders. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with them and accompany them on their journey.

“The time I spent working for them was really amazing. I think they have the potential to become very influential leaders, impacting the whole society,” added the former CEO of the Archewell charity.

Catherine stepped down as the former royal couple’s chief of staff and  stepped down as chief executive  of Archewell in March. She was born in Canada, lives in Seattle, US and was headhunted by the Gates family to be the chief of staff for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for eight years.

There were also rumours that Catherine had quit her role at the Sussexes because she was doing too much for Harry and Meghan. A source told  the Telegraph at the time : “I feel like she’s doing too much for them – things that aren’t necessarily in her job.”

A spokesperson for the Sussexes has been contacted by British media to comment on Catherine’s statement.