Harry and Meghan hire Sara Latham from Hillary Clinton's campaign to head communications

The long-rumored, much-debated "split" is here: Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan of Sussex are getting their own "household," as they say in royal circles.

Kensington Palace announced Thursday that Harry and Meghan, who is about eight months pregnant, will set up their own office apart from that of Prince William and Duchess Kate of Cambridge, and it will be based at Buckingham Palace instead of Kensington Palace where both couples now live.

"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 palace statement said. "The Household, which will be created with the support of The Queen and The Prince of Wales, will be established in the spring."

Translation: Grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and father Prince Charles will foot the bill for Harry and Meghan's new office and staff.

Harry has had his own private office at Kensington Palace for some time, and it took over handling the former Meghan Markle's public appearances and activities after they announced their 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" on the Windsor Castle estate about 25 miles from London and both palaces.

The queen granted permission for Harry and Meghan, 37, to base their household office at her London base in Buckingham Palace.

Kensington Palace also announced that Harry and Meghan will hire a new communications staff, with Sara Latham named as their chief public spokeswoman. She and their team will be reporting to the queen's communications team and press secretary, Donal McCabe.

Latham served as chief of staff to John Podesta, who served as Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman during the 2016 presidential election. She is a longtime Democratic fixer: Summoned in 1996 to help choreograph Bill Clinton’s reelection campaign and again in 2008 when she helped Podesta sneak President Obama’s cabinet prospects in for secret interviews. Before coming to work for the royals, she was employed by Freuds, a communications and PR firm, according to a press release from the royal communications team.

While this sort of office reorganization is routine for senior royals as they grow up and take on new duties, the rumors about this move circulating in the British media for months have been used as "evidence" of an alleged "feud" festering between the brothers and their wives.

So, too, have the plans by Harry and Meghan to move from a cramped two-bedroom apartment at Kensington Palace to a more spacious and renovated home, Frogmore Cottage.

Harry, 34, and Will, 36, have different responsibilities now and will in the future (Will is the presumed Prince of Wales and future king). Like any pair of brothers, they have different interests that grow more apparent as they grow older.

Harry and Meghan's household, however, had been expected to remain at Kensington, Palace so the news that it will be in Buckingham Palace comes as a surprise.

Meanwhile, the "feud" rumors have been quieting, partly because the royal sisters-in-law have appeared in public together twice in recent weeks and showed no signs of any tension.

In fact, on Monday, Duchess Kate, 37, publicly kissed Duchess Meghan on both cheeks when the two joined the royal family for the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.

"There has long been reason to doubt the reports of a feud between the two women, though there was indication last fall that Harry and William were experiencing some tensions," reported Vanity Fair's Katie Nicholl, who has followed the story for months. "Now they’re said to be getting along well, and there were no signs of any distance between William and Harry on Monday."

Contributing: Heidi M Przybyla

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Harry and Meghan hire Sara Latham from Hillary Clinton's campaign to head communications