Meghan Markle Branded 'Monster Boss' by Former Staff: 'She and Harry Are Incredibly Hard to Work For'
Prince Harry is flying solo again following 'lads trip' to celebrate 40th birthday.
Sept. 18 2024, Published 2:15 p.m. ET
Meghan Markle is being branded a boss from h--- after the latest defection by a growing number of high-level employees put her newest moneymaking venture in danger.
An insider says both Markle, 43, and her frozen-out husband Prince Harry, 40, are spoiled and demanding, making for a tough working environment, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The source said: "The brutal truth is Meghan and Harry are the toughest of taskmasters. They're incredibly difficult to work for.
Harry has publicly claimed it's too 'dangerous' for Markle and his kids to travel to the U.K. without heightened security.
"The numbers don't lie. To have almost 20 staffers quitting tells its own story.
"It's unprecedented, even for a startup!"
American Riviera Orchard's Chief of Staff Josh Kettler is the latest executive out the door.
He abruptly departed days before he was slated to join the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on their faux royal tour of Colombia in August.
Kettler, 45, was on the payroll for only three months.
An insider said: The source said: "The brutal truth is Meghan and Harry are the toughest of taskmasters."
It's been about six months since Markle unveiled her new lifestyle brand to great fanfare, yet she's still said to be struggling to get the enterprise off the ground because she can't find – and keep – a CEO.
Markle's history of losing staff is also apparently no surprise to the royal family.
An insider said: "Meghan was accused of bullying during her brief time in the palace.
"She denied the allegations and called them a 'calculated smear campaign'. Queen Elizabeth ordered a formal investigation, but Meghan was never officially cleared, and Her Majesty decreed that the results of the probe would be kept secret."
Sources say Queen Elizabeth, who passed away in 2022, launched an internal investigation after Markle was accused of "bullying" royal staffers.
Markle spent less than two years as a working royal after marrying Harry in 2018, yet in that brief time, she developed a reputation for having a high-and-mighty attitude and refusing to take advice from anyone, which alienated people on all levels.
The source added: "It seems nothing has changed."
Markle also has a long history of conflict with friends and family.
She abandoned her father, Thomas Markle, 80, after he had a heart attack, infamously accused the royals of racism and cruelty, and is said to ghost friends when they're no longer any use in helping her achieve her ambitions.
An insider said: "Not being able to keep staffers raises a worrying question.
"Are Meghan and Harry terrible at choosing employees, or is it a terrible work environment?"
Markle did not accompany Harry on his trip to the U.K. weeks ago to attend his uncle's funeral.
Meanwhile, palace staffers who quit or were fired proudly called themselves the Sussex Survivors Club.
Senior royal courtier Samantha Cohen, a 20-year favorite of Queen Elizabeth, says she couldn't wait to get away from Markle but stayed more than a year longer than she intended because they couldn't find a replacement for her.
Another former Sussex staffer said: "What may be most telling is the entire time I worked there, I don't think I heard a single current or former employee say they would take the job again if given the chance."
Now, lacking a CEO, Markle is facing an apparent crisis with her lifestyle brand.
She launched the project in March by sending jars of homemade jam and dog biscuits to special friends and teasing a rosé wine, but since then – nothing.
An insider said: "Everything has apparently come to a grinding halt.
"She's already filmed a cooking and gardening show for Netflix, but there's still no air date."
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Prince Harry is expected to make another trip to the U.K. without Meghan Markle.
Meanwhile, the Sussexes keep hiring top-of-the-line PR pros and senior staff.
The source continued: "My guess is that Meghan doesn't listen to anybody because she thinks she knows best.
"It's a recipe for business disaster. Meghan and Harry need loyal aides to guide them, but the people they hire will only stay if the Sussexes are willing to listen.
"And listening to others doesn't appear to be Meghan's strong point."
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