It is the end of an era at Kensington Palace. Natasha Archer, variously known as the Princess of Wales’s “right-hand woman” and “secret weapon”, is leaving the household after 15 years. She is to set up her own consultancy, embracing her reputation among royal fans as the Princess’s stylist with a venture in the private sector.

Throughout a decade and a half spent working for the Prince and Princess of Wales, Archer has been by the couple’s side – and responsible for their private diaries – for a royal wedding, three babies and Catherine’s battle with cancer. Rising from personal assistant to the Waleses’ inner circle, she has been in the background of their tours, sitting next to them watching the rugby, and one of the first to visit Catherine in hospital after the birth of her children to help her prepare for the imminent photocall.

Natasha Archer, pictured at the Royal Ascot 2025, has been described as the Princess of Wales’s ‘secret weapon’ - Getty Images for Royal Ascot

In 2024, she visited the Princess at The London Clinic during her 14-day stay following planned abdominal surgery – a testament to their professional closeness. As she prepares to leave, Archer has been described as “invaluable” to the palace, where staff are said to wish her the best for her next professional move. Her departure will leave large, presumably very stylish, shoes to fill. One person reportedly poised to begin a similar ascent is Jamie Earlam, whose LinkedIn profile currently lists her job as personal assistant (clothing) in the Wales household.

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For royal fans, the news has been a moment to reflect on 15 years of the Princess of Wales growing into her role on the global stage – and her changing style with it. “I think Natasha and Catherine went on a style journey together,” says Bethan Holt, Telegraph Fashion Director and author of The Duchess of Cambridge: A Decade of Modern Royal Style. “Look back to the years after the royal wedding and both women dressed in a very ‘safe’ way, which sometimes drew criticism but they played the long game and now both have flourished to look incredibly polished and modern.”

Catherine’s sister Pippa holds her dress ahead of her marriage to the now-Prince of Wales - Getty

The royal wedding itself, which happened the year after Archer joined, is one of the many defining moments of Catherine’s style evolution, not least because of her choice of dress designer: Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. The magnificent gown was designed in close collaboration with the bride herself and featured lace crafted by the Royal School of Needlework, establishing the future Princess’s high regard for traditional craftsmanship. It’s an interest she maintains to this day; just this year she presented the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design to emerging designer Patrick McDowell, who told me at the time that the royal expressed “genuine interest in craftsmanship”.

In 2014, Vanity Fair reported that Archer had encouraged Catherine to embrace her influence and gently push royal fashion boundaries. “Initially, Kate was a reluctant fashion icon, but now she enjoys it,” a source told the outlet. “[Archer] 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 said to have pushed Catherine to embrace shorter hemlines, as the Princess of Wales demonstrated during a visit to London’s V&A in 2017 - WireImage

This was the year the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge went on a royal tour of Australia and New Zealand, during which Catherine embraced colour blocking in an apparent nod to Queen Elizabeth II. Fans will recall the bolder, brighter looks on show during the tour: the pillar-box red dress coat by Catherine Walker (worn with a Jackie Kennedy-esque pillbox hat), the sunshine yellow dress by Roksanda Ilinčić, the vivid green Erdem crepe coat.

Catherine wears a pillar-box red dress coat by Catherine Walker, and corresponding pillbox hat, during an overseas visit to New Zealand in 2014 - WireImage

Catherine wears a sunshine yellow Roksanda Ilinčić dress in Australia in 2014 - Getty/AFP

“I remember when Catherine’s style suddenly became more daring and many thought Natasha couldn’t possibly be responsible for this evolution, but it was made clear that she was still integral to Catherine’s wardrobe,” says Holt. One outfit that was key to this realisation, Holt says, was a purple pussy-bow blouse by Gucci, worn with a pair of black tailored trousers from Jigsaw in 2019.

A purple pussy-bow blouse by Gucci represented a major turning point in Catherine’s fashion profile in 2019 - AFP/Getty

This high-low styling became classic Catherine, a trademark within a wardrobe of considered designers and brands that range from Alexander McQueen, Emilia Wickstead and Jenny Packham to more accessible names like Reiss and Boden. So seismic is her influence that the uptick of sales after she wears something has earned its own nickname – “the Kate effect” – while independent labels like Beulah London have been granted invaluable visibility. “It’s an honour when she wears a dress,” says Beulah founder Natasha Finch. “She always looks elegant and is a fantastic British ambassador.”

Catherine wearing Sarah Burton for Givenchy earlier this month at Windsor Castle - Getty

Catherine’s sartorial choices are always significant – as she proved just this week with a masterful display of diplomatic dressing during the state visit to Britain. For this, she made her debut in Dior before turning once again to Sarah Burton, now the creative director of French house Givenchy.

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Her quieter outfits matter just as much. Take the bespoke blue polka-dot Jenny Packham dress worn after the birth of Prince George in 2013, which Archer was seen delivering to the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital (there was reportedly also a pink version in case the baby had been a girl).

Catherine wore a blue polka-dot Jenny Packham dress following the birth of Prince George. A pink alternative had been prepared in case the baby was a girl - WireImage

In her 15-year tenure as unofficial fashion collaborator, Archer has travelled the world, often pictured walking off jets laden with luggage and garment bags. It makes you wonder about the less glamorous parts of the job, and the fact that it must require a significant lack of ego to succeed in the largely invisible art of helping to dress a princess. Hard graft and discretion also seem to be requirements. “Designers have spoken to me about the ultra-efficient way [Archer] works to find the perfect look for Catherine, always acting with complete discretion, of course, so no one ever quite knows if or when their designs will be worn,” says Holt.

Archer has two sons – the first born in 2018 and the second in 2021. She is said to have worked on the Princess’s wardrobe for future diary commitments prior to going on maternity leave, but Virginia (known as Ginnie) Chadwyck-Healey, formerly at Vogue and now running her own consultancy, VCH Style, also stepped in to help in her absence. Catherine’s health battle over the last few years presumably brought further adjustments to the role.

One thing is for sure: it seems likely that the new private consultancy firm Archer has stepped away to set up will have a lengthy queue of would-be patrons.