Meghan Markle to be Assisted by Queen’s Private Secretary

Samantha Cohen, the Queen's assistant private secretary, who had planned to leave Buckingham Palace this summer, will now be assisting Meghan Markle in her new role as a member of the royal family.

Cohen, who had given notice of her resignation last September following the ousting of Lord Guyde, the Queen's private secretary, has agreed to stay on as interim private secretary to the Duke and Duchess at Kensington Palace.

It is believed that Meghan will spend six months under the guidance of Miss Cohen, learning how to be an effective member of the royal family.

Miss Cohen is expected to be a temporary replacement for Edward Lane Fox, Prince Harry's departing private secretary, until next spring.

She will spend the rest of the year meeting charities and other good causes in a national tour only punctuated by their honeymoon while learning from mentor Miss Cohen, a source told the Times.

Meghan is seeking out advice from a range of people, and it will be six months of listening.

She is going to proceed with humility.

It is not going to be quiet, though.

It is going to be a very busy office.

She has worked every day of her life and is used to a demanding schedule.

Miss Cohen had appeared to be on the way out of the royal household after an extraordinary row between her boss, Prince Charles, and Prince Andrew.

She resigned in solidarity with Sir Christopher Guyde, the Queen's private secretary, who suddenly announced last July he was suddenly leaving after 15 years of royal service.

Sources said he was forced out because he fell out with Charles' most senior aides, and Prince Andrew allegedly deeply dislikes him and resented the control he had over his expenses.

Samantha also resigned, but she was obviously persuaded to stay and was seen at the royal wedding on Saturday.

She is also said to have played a key role in preparing Meghan for Tuesday's Buckingham Palace garden party, her first appearance as a royal highness.

Miss Cohen, who was an A student in Brisbane before moving to Britain, is expected to be a temporary replacement for Edward Lane Fox, Prince Harry's dep.

She is married to a dentist and a mother of three children.

She worked in the civil service and public relations before joining Buckingham Palace in 2001.

Described as deeply committed to serving the monarchy, she was in the first wave of women to take control of Palace media office once dominated by men during the noughties.

Followed by Miss Cohen, Meghan made her first outing as the Duchess of Sussex this week as she and Prince Harry arrived at Prince Charles' 70th birthday party at Buckingham Palace, where she was given a warm welcome.

The garden party saw more than 6,000 people, all from the charities and military associations most closely linked with the prince, descend on the grounds of Buckingham Palace for music, speeches, and, of course, a customary cup of tea and cucumber sandwich.

Samantha Cohen also found herself at the center of an incredible power struggle between Buckingham Palace and the Prince of Wales's Clarence House team.

The Queen's most senior courtier Sir Christopher Guide suddenly announced in July that he was leaving after 15 years of royal service.

Sir Christopher is thought to have fallen out of royal favor amid chaotic power struggles as Prince Charles and the younger royals take on more of the Queen's duties under Operation Handover.

To heal the rift, the Queen has given her most trusted courtier a fitting send-off.

When Sir Christopher, 56, stepped down as her private secretary on Thursday, HM bestowed yet another knighthood on him, his third in six years, during a private audience at Balmoral.