EXCLUSIVE: Why Meghan Markle 'Hurled Cup of Tea in the Air' Amid her 'Miserable' Existence in Royal Family

Meghan Markle's celebrated tour of Australia with Prince Harry in 2018 was hailed as a triumph – but RadarOnline.com can now reveal behind the smiling photographs, tensions with aides left her so "miserable" it sparked a dramatic outburst from the diva duchess that ended in her hurling a cup of tea into the air.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, then newly married and expecting their first child, captivated crowds in Sydney and beyond. Harry, 34 at the time, told competitors at the Invictus Games he was "humbled and inspired" by their determination, while Meghan, then 37, praised the "unshakable bond" and camaraderie among service personnel.

Their first major overseas tour seemed flawless to the public and press, who coined it "Meghan-mania." But sources close to the Sussex household recall a very different atmosphere.

One claimed: "From the outside it looked perfect, but behind the scenes things were tense. Markle was unhappy, Harry was fixated on negative comments online, and the staff were stuck in between."

At one point, frustrations boiled over. Markle allegedly hurled a cup of tea into the air in what one insider described as "a small but dramatic act of rebellion."

Royal author Tom Bower wrote in his book Revenge that while glowing photographs of the couple dominated headlines, the reality inside their team was one of unhappiness.

Markle had brought her close friends Jessica and Ben Mulroney from Canada to act as her support network, which reportedly caused friction with Palace aides already assigned to the couple.

Aides described her as "abrasive" towards staff and diplomats, recalling how she flung a cup of tea during a heated moment.

Another insider explained: "She was dealing with huge pressure and wanted the kind of press handling she was used to in Hollywood. When that wasn't delivered, her frustration showed."

The strain was intensified by relentless media coverage. According to Bower, Harry scoured social media late at night for criticism, inflaming their worries.

Markle's anger was compounded when stories about her father, Thomas Markle, resurfaced in the American press – including allegations about his drug use and claims he first learned of her pregnancy on the radio.

Though those reports came from the US, Harry allegedly blamed the British press, which further fueled tensions within their team.

Behind the scenes, Markle also grew irate with senior aide Jason Knauf, believing he and his team had failed to shield her. One source claimed: "She felt vulnerable. Meghan admitted she'd believed the Palace would shield her, but when that didn't happen, her confidence in the staff collapsed."

The rift with Knauf grew so wide that Markle reportedly excluded him from knowing about her surprise appearance at the British Fashion Awards later that year, leaving even the press office blindsided. Valentine Low, in his book Courtiers, described the move as a deliberate public snub.

The fallout extended beyond palace staff. Markle's once-close friendship with Jessica Mulroney eventually collapsed after Mulroney became embroiled in a race row in 2020. But insiders say the tensions of that Australian tour remain a turning point.

As one put it: "That was when the gap between the glossy image and what was really happening behind the scenes became undeniable."