After 15 years as Princess Kate Middleton’s personal assistant, Natasha Archer is moving on.
Archer, 37, is leaving Kensington Palace set up a private consultancy, Us Weekly has learned. The Prince and Princess of Wales’ household wishes her the very best and details on Archer’s new opportunity are expected soon.
People was first to report the news on Wednesday, July 9.
Archer began working for Kate, 43, in 2010, and her exit comes one year after she was promoted to senior private executive assistant to Kate and Prince William.
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“Natasha deserves this boost — she’s unfailingly discreet and loyal to Kate,” a source told the Daily Mail at the time. “The salary boost will be welcome too. This appointment means we can expect to see Natasha by Kate’s side for years to come. It seems to be Kate’s way of thanking her for her loyalty.”
During her tenure, Archer grew close with Kate, soon taking on the role of her personal stylist. In 2016, she even accompanied the princess on a five-hour hike — just in case she needed an outfit change along the way.
Us Weekly reported in 2023 that following the death of Queen Elizabeth II the year before, Kate had become more “strategic” about modernizing her style.
“Kate wants people to see her as a strong leader, someone who’s capable of taking the title of queen into a new generation,” a source explained.
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Regardless of what she wears, the so-called “Kate Effect” has been well documented in the U.K., with the trend of items she wears immediately selling out nationwide. It’s estimated that the phenomenon contributes $1.27 billion a year to the U.K. economy.
“Initially Kate was a reluctant fashion icon, but now she enjoys it. Tash helps source some of the clothes,” an insider told Vanity Fair in a 2014 interview. “She shops a lot for Kate online, and calls in hundreds of dresses for Kate to try on. She has persuaded Kate to take some more risks. The hemlines are shorter and Kate’s really pushing the boat out in the fashion stakes.”
Archer is also credited with persuading William, 43, to don a traditional sherwani on a trip to Pakistan in 2019. The man who designed the coat called the moment a “dream come true.”
“Honestly, no one carries it like he did,” Nauman Arfeen told People. “Usually people are more comfortable wearing the things they wear in their daily life — maybe a suit and tie and shirt. Most people get uncomfortable that they are not feeling right. But I noted he had no fuss and was so comfortable wearing it. It was amazing.”
