The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are to have their own household, in a split from William and Kate's royal personnel.

The Queen has agreed to the creation of a Household for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and given permission for it to be based at Buckingham Palace.

As part of the shake-up, Harry and Meghan have named high-flying PR guru Sara Latham - who has worked for Bill and Hillary Clinton - as their new dedicated head of communications.

The new Household is likely to be created following the birth of the couple's first child, expected in April.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are to have their own household, in a split from William and Kate's royal personnel

Harry and Meghan have named high-flying PR guru Sara Latham (pictured) - who has worked for Bill and Hillary Clinton - as their new dedicated head of communications

Ms Latham, believed to be a British-American dual citizen, worked in the White House in the Bill Clinton era as an assistant to the President.

She also served as an adviser for Hillary Clinton's failed 2016 presidential campaign, according to her online CV.

In addition she was recruited into British politics in 2005 to help Tony Blair's Labour party in that year's general election campaign.

Subsequently she worked for Labour MP Tessa Jowell, who was then Culture Secretary and responsible for planning the London Olympics.

She founded her own company - the Latham Group - in 2006 and more recently had been a managing partner at London-based PR firm Freuds, overseeing global corporate accounts.

Her LinkedIn page also shows her working for Philip Gould Associates, a polling firm founded by a New Labour aide, in the mid-2000s.

Ms Latham will report directly to the Queen's communications secretary.

Princes Harry and William remain joint patrons, with their wives, of the Royal Foundation, the primary charitable body for the Cambridges and Sussexes.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have separated their staff from that of Kate and William, pictured at Westminster Abbey on Monday

The shake-up comes as Harry and Meghan prepare for their move away from Kensington Palace to Frogmore Cottage (pictured) on the Windsor Castle estate

They could still work together on big projects like their Heads Together mental health campaign.

The two couples have faced rumours of a rift in recent months but there is no indication the latest changes are the result of any such disagreements.

Buckingham Palace announced the development in a statement, saying: 'The Queen has agreed to the creation of a new Household for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, following their marriage in May last year.

'The Household, which will be created with the support of The Queen and The Prince of Wales, will be established in the spring.

'The Duke of Sussex currently has his own private office, which has been supporting the Duchess since Their Royal Highness's engagement in November 2017.

'This long-planned move will ensure that permanent support arrangements for The Duke and Duchess's work are in place as they start their family and move to their official residence at Frogmore Cottage.'

During her career the Sussexes' new press chief, Sara Latham, has worked for Bill and Hillary Clinton (pictured together left) and former Labour minister Tessa Jowell (right)

The Sussexes and Cambridges' current communications head Jason Knauf will stay with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, but become their senior adviser.

His responsibilities will include advising on their charitable initiatives - including work on the environment, mental health, and early childhood - and supporting a review of the charitable structures that underpin their work.

Christian Jones has taken over as communications secretary to William and Kate.

The shake-up comes as Harry and Meghan prepare for their move away from Kensington Palace to Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor Castle estate.

It looks out onto the stunning grounds of Frogmore House, which Harry and Meghan chose as the location for their formal engagement photoshoot.

The cottage is just 200 yards from the publicly accessible Long Walk, meaning it will require upgrades to ensure the couple's privacy and security.