We Now Know Why People Don't Want To Work With Meghan Markle
There's a good chance many would argue the Duchess of Sussex hasn't been given a fair shake in the British press. From publishing stories about her personal family drama to English journalist Piers Morgan's stream of attacks, Meghan Markle frequently has to deal with public criticism. And although many of these reports are founded on baseless rumors, there might be a lick of truth to the claims that she's difficult to work with. That's because Markle's staff has high turnover rates, with the royal losing three employees within the span of just a few months in the spring of 2019. Considering there's probably a large pool of people vying to work for the royal family, you have to wonder why the Duchess of Sussex's staffers are dropping like flies.
Now that Markle is a mom (she welcomed baby Archie in May 2019), rumors surrounding her bad attitude with employees are heating up once again. So what's real and what's false? We uncover the compelling truth in our investigation into why people don't want to work with Meghan Markle.
Does Meghan Markle need to change her tone?
Communication is key when dealing with employees, so Meghan Markle may need to reconsider how she speaks to her staffers. Case in point: Some people have accused Markle of using an impolite tone in conversations with her team, an accusation that surfaced one year after her wedding. The Duchess of Sussex was supposedly upset while tasting the wedding dishes, specifically one that was intended to be "a macrobiotic alternative" (no dairy, meats, or oily foods). "[Meghan] got very upset when she felt that she could taste egg in a dish when she was told there was no egg, and she said, 'No, I can taste it, I can taste there's egg in this dish'," royal expert Katie Nicholl told Yahoo's Royal Box.
Apparently, the Queen herself was in earshot for this conversation and she didn't take kindly to how Markle handled her annoyance. "I think there was a bit of an upset when suddenly the Queen walked in, because of course, this was Windsor Castle, this is her home," an insider claimed. "And she just quietly took Meghan to the side and said, 'You know, Meghan, in this family we don't speak to people like that.'" Yikes.
We can't say for certain whether this actually happened, but it's not a good look for Markle if there's any truth to it.
Meghan Markle might pay too much attention to detail
The devil is in the details, as the old saying goes, and it's a sentiment Meghan Markle seems to know all too well. She's reportedly obsessive about every little detail, going above and beyond to ensure her staffers strive for perfection. One good example? When Markle tied the knot with Prince Harry in May 2018, she supposedly requested air fresheners for St George's Chapel, aka the couple's 15th century wedding venue. "Apparently Meghan didn't like the smell of the chapel, which, as you would expect, is a little musty. It's not unpleasant at all, though," a source told the Daily Mail. "It just smells how you would expect an old building to smell. And that's something the Royal Family are particularly used to."
Despite this, the Duchess of Sussex was supposedly insistent on the use of "atomizers, like spritzer guns, [to] spray the chapel with scent before anyone arrived," an insider revealed. "Royal Household staff stepped in and told her office politely, but firmly, that this was the Queen's Chapel and it simply wasn't appropriate."
Although there was supposedly tension about Markle's request, another source denied anything was amiss: "The two households worked very well together. I don't believe they [the atomizers] caused concern."
Either way, it seems like the Duchess of Sussex isn't one to let anything slip by her... and this might be tough for her employees to deal with.
Staffers prefer Kate Middleton over Meghan Markle
A lot can get lost in translation when you're a foreigner in a new country, even if they speak the same language. Meghan Markle has apparently been through this herself, as some staffers are reportedly put off by her American attitude, with one source telling People that employees "might not be used to the 'say-it-as-you-see-it' American mentality." It also doesn't help that the Duchess of Sussex supposedly doesn't like hearing the word "no," a common phrase in the Queen's palace. "The palace is a magical place, and it is also a place where all you hear is 'no, no, no,'" an insider claimed. "The most difficult job in the royal family is to work with Meghan's ambitions and make them realizable. She will get frustrated if she is told, 'You can't do this or can't do that.'"
What's more? Markle's sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, is supposedly a lot easier to work for. 'She takes the time to listen to ideas from the most junior members in her team," a source explained to the Daily Mail. "Afterwards they'll say, 'Wow, she knows my name. She asked me what I thought.'"
Middleton and Markle's opposite communication styles have earned them different nicknames in the press — "Duchess of Dazzle" and "Duchess Difficult," respectively. Ouch.
Wait, Meghan Markle did what?
One of the more salacious rumors surrounding Meghan Markle is her alleged mistreatment toward one of Kate Middleton's staffers. The claim came to light in December 2018, not too long after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's wedding, with an insider recounting to The Scottish Sun how Middleton supposedly reprimanded Markle for her poor behavior. It's not exactly clear what inspired the dressing down, but the Duchess of Sussex allegedly "b****ed" out Middleton's staffer to the point where the mom-of-two had to step in. "That's unacceptable, they're my staff and I speak to them," the Duchess of Cambridge supposedly told her sister-in-law, an intervention that led to the pair's falling out. It's unclear whether Markle got the message, however, as she's said to have "very high standards and is used to working in a Hollywood environment."
Buckingham Palace denied the incident ever happened, but if it did, we can understand why staffers might be reluctant to work with Markle. No one wants to be "b****ed out" while on the job, right?
Meghan Markle is not ready to let go of Hollywood
The Duchess of Sussex puts on a good show of fully immersing herself in royal life, all the way from participating in charities to conforming to palace rules. But does she have one foot out of the door?
A source alleged to The Sun in September 2019 that Markle is still working with her Hollywood agents, turning to them for input regarding a children's book she's supposedly writing. This is a big no no for the royals, and it's off-putting to palace staffers who aren't used to their employers seeking outside counsel for their projects. "As a full-time member of the Royal Family, it would be the expectation for that type of work to be exclusively handled by Palace staff who balance individual desire over what's right for the wider institution," an insider told The Sun. "It is clear she is wanting to keep surrounding herself with her Hollywood people. That wasn't the expectation."
Buckingham Palace refuted the allegations in The Sun's report, claiming Markle's relationship with her Hollywood agents is purely about friendship. Still, we're not surprised why some employees would feel slighted by this rumor — it doesn't look good loyalty-wise.
Prince Harry doesn't help the situation
Amid all of the rumors surrounding Meghan Markle's behavior toward staffers, some might be wondering how Prince Harry factors into all of this. As it turns out, he might be the Duchess of Sussex's biggest enabler, as he reportedly turns a blind eye to her unbecoming behavior. "Harry won't take any criticism of Meghan and he is so sensitive that he often sees criticism or negativity when there isn't any," a source told Express.
The Duke of Sussex's supposed inability to hear anything bad about his wife has reportedly caused a rift with his brother, Prince William, and sister-in-law, Kate Middleton. But what hasn't been as widely discussed is the impact it might have on staffers who potentially might want to work for Markle, as we can't imagine it would be easy to work for a person who can do no wrong. And you wouldn't want to possibly go head-to-head with her husband, who just so happens to be one of the most powerful men in Great Britain. It's a lose-lose, if you ask us.
The Duchess of Sussex is a protective mama bear
Being a first-time mom comes with its own set of challenges, and Meghan Markle is no exception to this phenomenon. A perfect example of this? The Duchess of Sussex reportedly finds it difficult to outsource the care of baby Archie, at least, according to a source who told The Sun in July 2019: "With the christening of Archie imminent on Saturday in the Queen's Chapel in Windsor, it seems Meghan is very reluctant to relinquish any control to a professional pair of nannying hands." The source also added that potential employees have been put through "an auditioning process," while noting that it has been "humiliating for the poor nannies."
The flip side to this situation? A new mom has every right to be cautious about who cares for her child. "Often there are different needs at different stages of the baby's life. The first nanny was a night nurse," another insider shared. "But Harry and Meghan do not want to rush this or take any risks getting this decision right. It's deeply personal and can depend on the needs of the baby and parents."
Seems fair to us. Although Markle's supposedly controlling ways might be a turnoff to potential staffers, we get it.
Meghan Markle's staffers are dropping like flies
Some might argue that all of these rumors surrounding Meghan Markle's behavior toward employees are unfounded, but it's hard to argue with the timeline of employee exits. What are we talking about, exactly? Well, the Duchess of Sussex lost three assistants within the span of a few months. One of the aides who quit was Amy Pickerill, leaving the job just after one year. While the departure seems a bit suspicious, a source told NBC News (via E! News) there was no drama involved: "Amy will be leaving but has agreed to stay on to help following the birth of the baby. She and Meghan are very close and it's all very amicable. She has been with her since she moved from Canada and she will remain as a personal adviser to her in the long term."
Not to mention, baby Archie — who was born in May 2019 — reportedly had "three nannies in six weeks," according to The Sun. We already discussed the reported reasons behind this turnaround, but it is a bit wild to conceive losing three staffers in such a short span. That would possibly translate to losing one employee every other week, no?
Whatever is going on here, we hope Markle finds her stride as an employer, because we imagine it would make her life easier in the long run.