Meghan Markle’s Friend Is Launching a New Business, and the Sussexes Are the First Clients

For the last four years, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been growing a US-based staff to help them establish a legacy in charity and business under their own names. Ashley Hansen, the couple’s current head of communications, has worked with the couple for over two years, helping to steer the ship through major moments like the release of the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan and Harry’s blockbuster memoir, Spare. Now Hansen is branching out by starting her own communications firm called Three Gate Strategies, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be her first clients.

“We are so proud of Ashley, especially as a female entrepreneur,” the duchess told Vanity Fair in a statement on behalf of the couple. “We look forward to having her focused expertise on our business and creative projects and her continued oversight of our communications team. My husband and I are excited to be alongside Ashley as she builds something extraordinarily special with her firm.”

Though Hansen will be taking on more accounts as her company grows, she plans to continue her work with Meghan and Harry and their communications team across their Archewell Foundation, business endeavors, and media projects. Hansen will work with other high-profile clients in entertainment, tech, and finance, and will remain based in Los Angeles. 

Three Gate draws its name from a proverb often attributed to Rumi, which posits that a person should let their words pass through “three gates” before speaking: “Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?” Hansen said that Meghan helped her brainstorm a name for the company, and remembering their shared affection for the saying, the selection felt like a “lightbulb moment.” The Rumi reference is also an homage to Hansen’s Persian heritage, as the poet lived in 13th century Greater Iran. In 2022, Hansen was present when Meghan gave a speech bringing attention to Iran’s Women, Life, Freedom movement, wearing a shirt with its name in Farsi.

Since relocating to the US in 2020, Meghan has been investing in women-owned businesses and she considers Hansen’s new venture part of her growing portfolio, which also includes accessories brand Cesta Collective, beverage brand Clevr, and more. Since April, the duchess has also been teasing the launch of her own lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, with sneak peaks at its future wares, including gift baskets with jars of strawberry jam. In addition to her work on Archewell’s charitable endeavors, Hansen will also work with the duchess on the business and her other creative projects.

Hansen told Vanity Fair her new venture will build on the work she has already done to support the couple. “It came about after I was approached by other clients seeking the high-quality counsel I have provided to the Sussexes,” she said. “The Duke and Duchess’s ongoing support and trust in me to execute their vision is testament to the meaningful working relationship we have built.”

Hansen began working with Meghan and Harry in May 2022, following a career in communications that included roles at UTA, Annapurna Pictures, and Universal Filmed Entertainment Group. During her time with the Archewell team, she oversaw communications during a particularly historic and tumultuous time for the couple, including the 2022 death of Queen Elizabeth II and the 2023 coronation of King Charles III.

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