Meghan Markle’s time as a working royal family member was unexpectedly short-lived. She and Harry departed from the UK and the royal family after just a few years, and the fallout from their departure continues to impact them today. The couple has made numerous accusations against the royals in various interviews and Harry’s book, straining their relationship with the royal family.
Despite Meghan’s popularity with the public during her time in the UK, behind closed doors, things were quite different. In 2022, The London Times’ royal correspondent Valentine Low released a controversial book alleging that both Meghan and Harry bullied their staff, with one staff member reportedly being “completely destroyed” by their experience.
Harry and Meghan have denied these claims, but Samantha Cohen, the late Queen’s former press secretary, has since spoken out.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle married at St. George’s Chapel in 2018, initiating what many believed would be a lifelong commitment to the Crown. However, this dream was short-lived.
On January 8, 2020, the couple announced on their official Instagram account their decision to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family to work towards financial independence while continuing to support Queen Elizabeth and their patronages. They planned to divide their time between the UK and North America.
Initially, it seemed that Queen Elizabeth and the royal family had accepted their decision. However, things quickly turned sour.
The Oprah interview brought significant attention to the royal family and Harry and Meghan. The couple accused members of the royal family of discussing their son Archie’s potential skin color and claimed they received no support from the royal family regarding Meghan’s declining mental health.
Harry’s subsequent book, “Spare,” revealed more about his family, angering many including Prince William and Kate Middleton.
In December 2022, the Sussexes released a Netflix documentary series detailing their journey from leaving the royals to starting a new life in the US. After staying in Canada, they settled in Montecito, California, preparing for the birth of their second child, Lilibet. The series provided never-before-seen photos of the couple and their children and offered insight into their first hours after leaving the royal family.
The “freedom flight” to Los Angeles symbolized their departure from their royal responsibilities, with Harry describing the flight as the moment they felt truly free from their royal duties.
A 12-seater Cessna jet was used for their journey, with Harry filming inside the plane, showing his stepmother and their two dogs. Meghan mentioned that they were heading to Los Angeles, her hometown.
Some viewers perceived the couple’s demeanor on the plane as anxious, while others saw them as excited about their new life.
Meghan has spoken about feeling mistreated while working as a senior royal, and it wasn’t just her who felt this way. Staff members in the Sussex household reportedly felt mistreated by both Meghan and Harry.
In 2021, The Times reported that several royal aides claimed Meghan bullied them while living at Kensington Palace. Meghan was accused of bullying two PAs, which was detailed in an email from Jason Knauff, then-acting Kensington Palace communications secretary, to Prince William’s private secretary.
After these allegations, Buckingham Palace decided to investigate, even though Harry and Meghan denied the claims. In June 2023, the palace announced an investigation into how the staff handled these allegations. Although the results were not made public, officials stated that the palace’s human resources policy had been updated.
Meghan was also accused of verbally attacking her staff in the book “Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown.” Sources claimed Meghan screamed at her ex-staffers and made harsh comments, leaving some feeling “broken.”
Harry addressed the allegations in his book, acknowledging the strained relationships with staff and the “poisoned atmosphere” in their office.
Samantha Cohen, the late Queen Elizabeth II’s former press secretary, has recently broken her silence on the investigation against Meghan. Cohen revealed that Buckingham Palace struggled to find replacement aides for Harry and Meghan due to high staff turnover.
Cohen was also mentioned in Low’s book, with a friend describing Meghan and Harry as difficult to work with, saying they were “like a couple of teenagers.”
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