Meghan Markle faces fresh allegations about her past treatment of household staff as she prepares for an extended return to the United Kingdom.
The Duchess of Sussex, 45, and Prince Harry, 41, are expected to travel back to Britain with their children — Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5 — at the end of this month, reports said on August 19. The family has lived in Montecito, California since 2020 after stepping back as senior working royals in the dramatic departure that became known as “Megxit.”
Sources with knowledge of private household staffing circles claim Markle’s previous hiring practices in Britain left a damaging impression. “When Meghan was previously living in the UK, the way she interviewed household staff was extremely rude,” one source alleged. “Applicants would come in to interview for housekeeping or maid positions and were basically forbidden from speaking to her.”
According to this insider, the interview process followed a rigid pattern that offered little human engagement. “They would hand over their résumé, then be told to stand off to the side of the room, not speak and not make eye contact while Meghan sat there and reviewed it,” the source claimed. “She wouldn’t ask them questions or have any kind of actual conversation with them. She would take her time reading through the résumé, look the person up and down and then simply tell them they could leave.”
The source contended that these experiences became widely known among household staff networks over time. “This happened with enough people that word absolutely got around among household staff,” the insider said. “People remember how they were treated, and there are a lot of people who simply would not want to put themselves in that position and work for her now.”
A second source echoed concerns about Markle’s reputation circulating within private service circles. “There’s definitely concern among household staff about Harry and Meghan coming back to the UK,” this insider said. “Word has gotten around over the years about what Meghan can be like to work for, and she has a reputation for being very dismissive and rude to staff.”
The second source suggested this reputation could complicate future hiring efforts for the Sussex household. “A lot of people in those circles talk, so stories travel,” the source said. “And there are definitely people who would have no interest in working for her because of what they’ve heard.” The source added: “The assumption is that now that Meghan and Harry are back, Meghan will probably be looking to hire household staff again, but I don’t think she’s going to have people lining up for those jobs. There’s a lot of apprehension about what working in that household would actually be like.”
However, a source close to Markle strongly rejected these characterizations. “The suggestion that Meghan interviewed anyone in a rude manner is categorically untrue,” this insider stated, adding that the former “Suits” actress and her husband “have always treated their staff with respect and professionalism.”
The Sussexes’ return comes six years after they left royal life and established themselves in California, where they pursued business ventures while remaining non-working members of the royal family. Their Montecito neighbors have reportedly had mixed reactions to their presence over the years. “When we first heard Harry and Meghan were moving to Montecito, there were definitely some concerns,” a local resident said, citing worries about media attention in the normally quiet Santa Barbara County community. Now, with news of their UK return, some locals “couldn’t be more thrilled,” according to the insider.
The couple is expected to maintain their status as non-working royals while continuing their business ventures during their British stay. Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not respond to requests for comment from the outlet.