EXCLUSIVE: Prince William Raged Over Meghan Markle's 'Difficult and Rude' Behavior — As Her Palace Peace Talks With Future King and Kate Middleton Turned Into 'Ugly Atmosphere'
Prince William confronted Meghan Markle about her 'rude' behavior and 'horrendous' treatment of staff.
Feb. 24 2026, Published 6:16 p.m. ET
It wasn't just Kensington Palace staff members who found Meghan Markle "difficult," as Prince William pointed his finger and accused his newly minted sister-in-law of being "rude," RadarOnline.com can exclusively reveal.
In his new royal biography, William and Catherine: The Inside Story, author Russell Myers pulled back the curtain on how William and his wife, Kate Middleton, had Markle and Prince Harry over for peace talks that quickly went downhill shortly after the newlyweds tied the knot in 2018.
'People Were Leaving All The Time' Due to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Treatment
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's 'horrendous' behavior in the run-up to their wedding caused 'stress' among royal staff.
The biography described how William became frustrated with his brother and Markle's treatment of staff in the run-up to their May 2018 wedding, and things went south quickly after that.
"It was a very stressful time, tensions were high, people were running on empty, and generally working themselves to the bone trying to get across all the details for the wedding. [William] saw what was happening and apologized on behalf of his brother on more than one occasion," a source claimed.
"[William and Catherine] had spent a considerable amount of time fostering a really nice and relaxed working atmosphere, and in those few months, it was utterly extinguished. People were leaving all the time; it was horrendous," the insider alleged.
Employee Morale Plummeted
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's treatment of their royal staff was 'exhausting.'
Palace insiders claimed the Prince and Princess of Wales were worried about the effect Harry and Markle were having on employee morale within the Kensington Palace team, and also feared they would personally have problems working with the demanding duo.
"In one camp, you had the people who cared, wanted those working in the household to enjoy themselves while working there, and on the other side, it was something different every day. Nothing was ever good enough; there were constant complaints. It was exhausting," sources claimed about Harry and the former Suits actress.
'The Whole Atmosphere Was Ugly'
The 'clear-the-air talks' between the couples ended with Prince William accusing Meghan Markle of being 'rude.'
Within several months of Harry and Markle tying the knot in their royal wedding, William and Middleton tried to reason with the couple to treat their staff better, only to have it blow up into a major disagreement.
William and Kate had the newlyweds over to their home in July 2018 to stage "clear-the-air talks." The book noted, "The resulting exchange did not bode well for the future."
"Harry and Meghan were unwilling to concede they were responsible for the departure of two of Meghan’s PAs, or for the general desperate atmosphere, in which members of staff reported they were sick with stress," Myers explained.
He claimed: "William accused Meghan of being difficult and rude, and according to Harry, pointed directly at his wife."
"The whole atmosphere was ugly," a source claimed of the blowout fight.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Still Continue to Have High Staff Turnover
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's 11th publicist in five years quit in late 2025.
It wasn't just William who accused Markle of horrid behavior towards staffers.
By October 2018, Kensington Palace press secretary Jason Knauf sent an email to William's private secretary outlining a series of bullying allegations made against the Los Angeles native. Those included the two personal assistants who were allegedly driven out of the household by Markle's treatment, and a third staffer whose confidence the Duchess of Sussex allegedly "undermined."
The public knew nothing about this behind-the-scenes drama at the time. Markle's alleged bullying wasn't made public until March 2021, a year after she and Harry quit as senior working royals and moved to California to seek "financial independence."
The bullying report was eventually leaked to The Times UK, which ran with the story. It was published just days before the Netflix star and her husband's infamous royal takedown interview with Oprah Winfrey aired.
The former actress said in a statement that she was "saddened" by the bullying report, and called it the "latest attack" on her "character."
Markle continued to have problems retaining staff after leaving the royal family. She and Harry lost their 11th publicist in late 2025.
