Meghan Markle's UK Return Could Spark Household Staff Crisis Over Duchess' Alleged 'Extremely Rude' Hiring Tactics
Meghan Markle's allegedly 'rude' treatment of staff may make hiring for her new UK household difficult.
Sept. 1 2026, Published 2:20 p.m. ET
Meghan Markle's reputation as an alleged nightmare boss could reportedly come back to haunt her as she and Prince Harry try to hire staff for their new home in the U.K., RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Before the couple bailed on the royal family in 2020 and moved to California, a report alleged that the 45-year-old bullied her Kensington Palace staff, and now that "rude" behavior is reportedly scaring away applicants for the duo's new household.
Job Applicants Reportedly Not Allowed to Speak to Meghan Markle
Markle was accused by former prospective employees of being 'extremely rude' in interviews.
"When Meghan was previously living in the UK, the way she interviewed household staff was extremely rude," one source alleged to Page Six about the former actress' 20-month stint as a working member of the royal family after marrying 41-year-old Harry in 2018.
"Applicants would come in to interview for housekeeping or maid positions and were basically forbidden from speaking to her," the insider claimed.
Those seeking to join Markle's staff reportedly had to stand in silence out of her view as she inspected their résumés, while not being allowed to glance at the former Deal or No Deal briefcase girl, according to sources.
'Word Got Around' About Meghan Markle's Allegedly Brutal Interviewing Style
Markle reportedly didn't ask applicants questions before telling them they 'could leave'
"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 insider 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."
Word quickly spread about the woman who became known to household staff as "Duchess Difficult."
“This happened with enough people that word absolutely got around among household staff," the source continued.
"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."
'Word Has Gotten Around' About What Meghan Markle Is Like to Work for
The 45-year-old allegedly earned a terrible reputation for how she behaved as a boss while still a working member of the royal family.
A second source claimed that Markle's reputation as notoriously hard to work for preceded her bombshell return to the U.K. after six years living in the U.S. with Harry.
"There's definitely concern among household staff about Harry and Meghan coming back to the UK," the additional source 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."
"A lot of people in those circles talk, so stories travel. And there are definitely people who would have no interest in working for her because of what they’ve heard," the insider shared about Markle's potential hiring crisis.
A source close to the Sussexes sneered at the notion that Markle is a mean girl, telling the outlet, "The suggestion that Meghan interviewed anyone in a rude manner is categorically untrue."
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Royal reporters have shared stories from prospective employees about their alleged nightmare interviews with Markle.
The latest reports about Markle being a hard-to-please boss come on the heels of Daily Mail columnist Sarah Vine sharing a story about a young woman's alleged experience interviewing with the Los Angeles native for a palace position before her royal exit.
Royal correspondent Richard Eden recounted it on the Palace Confidential podcast, saying, "A young woman had come for an interview for a job, and Meghan was there, ready to interview her. The woman was very nervous, as you’d imagine anyone is for an interview."
“She came in, and Meghan apparently just looked down, carried on looking at her papers, and this lasted for minutes," Eden claimed. "It certainly felt like five minutes, and then Meghan eventually just looked up and said to this young woman, 'You can leave.' That was it! That was the whole job interview."
Eden said Vine's story tracked with what he had heard about Markle, noting it "ties in with so many things that I've heard about Meghan’s time in the palace and those bullying allegations."
