Meghan Markle‘s return to Britain may come with a staffing problem, according to a new report. Sources told Page Six on Tuesday that the Duchess of Sussex, 45, developed a reputation for being “extremely rude” to household job applicants during her previous time in the UK, and that word has spread as she and Prince Harry trade Montecito, California, for British soil.
“Applicants would come in to interview for housekeeping or maid positions and were basically forbidden from speaking to her,” one source alleged.
According to the insider, candidates were told to hand over their résumés, then “stand off to the side of the room, not speak and not make eye contact” while Meghan read them.
“She wouldn’t ask them questions or have any kind of actual conversation with them,” the source claimed. “She would take her time reading through the résumé, look the person up and down and then simply tell them they could leave.”
A source close to Meghan strongly rejected the account. Harry and Meghan “have always treated their staff with respect and professionalism,” the source said, adding, “The suggestion that Meghan interviewed anyone in a rude manner is categorically untrue.” Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not respond to Page Six’s request for comment, and the allegations remain unverified.
A second source claimed the stories have circulated in domestic-staff circles for years. “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,” the insider said. “A lot of people in those circles talk, so stories travel.”
“The assumption is that now that Meghan and Harry are back, Meghan will probably be looking to hire household staff again, but I don’t think she’s going to have people lining up for those jobs,” the source added.
The report lands one week after the Sussexes and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, arrived in Britain for what Page Six first confirmed on August 19 would be an “extended period.” The couple had lived in Montecito since stepping back from royal duties in 2020.
Online, the report drew a sharply divided response. Skeptics were quick to dismiss the anonymous sourcing, with one X user writing, “Opinion only, not based on any credible facts!” and another calling it “more baseless bullying. give it a rest.” Supporters pointed to her track record, with one noting, “Meghan’s staff have never let her down or leaked any stories from her home,” and another urging critics to “help them out to assimilate, rather than tearing them down!” Others seized on the As Ever brand for a punchline: “Why does she need staff she is a kitchen/homemaking goddess!!??” one wrote, while another suggested, “No worries she’ll have Harry do domestic chores.”
Meghan has not addressed the latest report publicly. Her most recent post, shared days after the move, showed her picking vegetables in the Montecito garden with the caption “Soaking in the last of summer in the garden,” with comments turned off.
