Meghan Markle was faced with yet more explosive claims about her behaviour as a boss just hours after former and current staff rushed to her defence as the latest row over allegations against her continues.
The Duchess of Sus𝑠e𝑥 had a difficult month after The Hollywood Reporter, one of America’s prestigious entertainment news sources, published a damning report labelling the Duchess of Sus𝑠e𝑥 “Duchess Difficult” and claiming that her staff are allegedly “terrified” of her and her “belittling” behaviour towards them.
But since then various current and former employees came forward to the Duchess’s defence with Us Weekly publishing a cover story which cited sources praising Meghan’s “kindness”.
However, a new report by the Daily Beast has brought fresh claims about Meghan’s attitude into the spotlight which painted a contrasting picture to this week’s “fightback by Team Meghan”.
A courtier who reportedly worked for the Duke and Duchess of Sus𝑠e𝑥 when they were working royals alleged that Meghan was a “demon” boss who had “psycho moments” during their service and made people “feel like s**t”.
They told the publication: “There have been plenty of difficult royals over the years, and I do think that after the ill-feeling of Megxit, Meghan’s bad moments were amplified and distorted and blown out of proportion. Princess Margaret regularly got people to hold out their hands to use as ashtrays, for example, and that’s just laughed off as hilarious eccentricity. Look at Prince Andrew, he was unbelievable to the staff.”
They added: “That said, there definitely were bad, very bad, even psycho moments. I witnessed people being chewed up in person and over the phone and made to feel like s**t.
“But it was an incredibly fraught time and I’m inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt. She has said herself she was suicidal at times.”
Another ex-staffer, who worked with the Sus𝑠e𝑥 couple in the run-up to the wedding claimed: “I always thought she was a classic narcissist and getting her staff to tell a magazine how amazing she is only confirms that in my mind.
“She is lovely when it is all going her way but a demon when the worm turns.”
Meanwhile, another source alleged that the duchess “screamed down the phone” for half an hour to a florist who published an “insignificant detail” about a bouquet they were working on for her “without identifying” her as the client.
The Duchess of Sus𝑠e𝑥 declined to comment.
The latest claims follow Tuesday’s positive testimonials about the Duchess, by former and current staffers of the Sus𝑠e𝑥 couple including Ben Browning, Archewell’s former head of content, who told Us Weekly that his experience working with Harry and Meghan has been “positive and supportive”, adding: “The narratives we’ve seen suggesting the contrary are untrue.”
Ashley Hansen, global press secretary to the Duke and Duchess and the head of communications for Archewell, spoke about her own experience with the couple when she had to take time off for a health issue: “When I told them, I was met with the kind of concern and care a parent would express if it were their own child. I was asked what I needed, how and if they could help, and told to take as much time as I needed.”
A current staffer who wished to remain anonymous described how colleagues were “dumbfounded by the claims”, adding: “It’s clear where this type of commentary is coming from. It’s likely made up from someone who’s disgruntled.”