Royal Staffers Thought Meghan Markle Was 'Basically Unhinged' Despite Duchess Denying Their Bullying Allegations
The bullying allegations against Meghan Markle continue to follow her, with former staffers having been branded the "Sussex Survivors Club" by royal commentators.
Recently, Prince Harry's chief-of-staff, Josh Kettler, stepped down from his role after three months, and his exit led to a resurgence of the "Duchess Difficult" rumors.
"Meghan portrayed herself as the victim, but she was the bully. People felt run over by her," royal expert Robert Lacey wrote in his book Battle of the Brothers. "They thought she was a complete narcissist and sociopath — basically unhinged."
When Meghan was first accused of mistreating her staff in 2021, she called the assertion a "calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation."
Although Meghan and Harry insisted the claims were false, Kettler leaving his position before their trip to Colombia led many royal watchers to wonder about the Sussexes' professionalism.
"A revolving door of staff seems to be the norm for Harry and Meghan," royal expert Helena Chard told an outlet. "Eighteen members of their staff have departed their team."
"Sometimes introducing new staff to a team can keep ideas alive, but this is an unusually high turnover of staff and highlights that something is wrong," Chard added.
According to a report, Kettler's exit was a "mutual" decision, and he was hired on a "trial basis" — but the details didn't stop the speculation.
"The sad thing is all these employees have been chosen carefully," Chard explained. "They have previously excelled working for demanding bosses in high-performing companies and environments. I can only believe that Harry and Meghan are tricky customers and make it near impossible for their staff to excel in their roles."
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When Kettler first joined Harry's team, he was expected to help the dad-of-two begin a new chapter in his career after the Sussexes were branded as "grifters" and a "Hollywood flop."
"Josh Kettler is the guy who's meant to guide Prince Harry in particular through what has been described as the next phase of his life," royal correspondent Cameron Walker told GB News. "I have contacted their team in California and here in London and have been met with silence — but reports claim that he quit."
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Before quitting, Kettler accompanied Harry to London and Nigeria in May.
"He started just a week before Harry and Meghan went to Nigeria back in May, he also accompanied Prince Harry here in London for the Invictus Games 10th anniversary service at St Paul's Cathedral. But it's a huge distraction," Walker noted. "We do have an upcoming Colombia visit from the couple. And it begs the question, why is it he quit after just three months?"
Daily Express quoted Lacey.