'Rude' Meghan Markle Berated Gardener So Badly The Queen Was Forced to Intervene As Bullying Claims Surrounding Duchess Continue to Mount Up

Meghan Markle once berated a royal gardener so badly the late Queen was forced to intervene.

RadarOnline.com can reveal the Duchess, 43, had a reputation for being "difficult" during her time as an active Royal and upset numerous aides, including young staffers, with her "diva" behavior.

According to sources close to royal historian Hugh Victors, Markle's rudeness even extended to garden staff working at Frogmore Cottage between 2019 and March 2020 when the Duchess and husband Prince Harry, 40, lived there.

He recalled an incident where Markle was "very rude" to one of the under-gardeners at Windsor.

And when the head gardener reported the matter to the late Queen, she reprimanded Markle, as she strongly disliked people being rude to staff.

Vickers added: "She probably is not very good with staff or people that she's employing. It's just very unattractive.

"You should always be very polite to people who work for you because otherwise they're going to get very put out."

Markle's bullying behavior was first exposed in September 2024 when unnamed source told how they witnessed "people being chewed up in person and over the phone and made to feel like s---."

Another insider claimed Markle "screamed" at a florist down the phone for half an hour after they failed to mention in a post online that the Duchess of Sussex was working with them on a bouquet.

In 2018, Jason Knauf, then communications secretary for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, filed a formal complaint alleging that Markle's behavior had led to the departure of two personal assistants and undermined the confidence of a third staff member.

This complaint became public in 2021, shortly before Markle and Harry's interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Buckingham Palace subsequently launched an internal investigation, the findings of which were not released to the public.

Earlier this year, a Vanity Fair article reported that Markle was initially "warm and effusive" with employees, but would turn "cold and withholding toward the person she perceived to be responsible" if something went wrong or failed to meet her or Harry's expectations

A source who worked in media projects said: "She's constantly playing checkers – I'm not even going to say chess – but she's just very aware of where everybody is on her board.

"And when you are not in, you are to be thrown to the wolves at any given moment," which they say meant "undermining'"behaviour, adding: "It's talking behind your back. It's gnawing at your sense of self. Really, like, Mean Girls teenager."

Markle has strongly denied allegations of bullying royal staff, with her team describing the claims as part of a "calculated smear campaign."

A spokesman said in 2021: "The Duchess is saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself and is deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma.

"She is determined to continue her work building compassion around the world and will keep striving to set an example for doing what is right and doing what is good."

Some staff members have defended Markle, describing her as a "lovely, genuine person", disputing the negative portrayals.