Meghan Markle's Alleged 'Snobbish and Rude' Behaviour Put off Montecito Housekeepers, Source Claim

Meghan Markle's alleged treatment of household staff is back in the spotlight after a new report claimed she struggled to find housekeepers willing to work at the Sussexes' Montecito mansion.

According to a Page Six report, which cited an unnamed source familiar with the situation, some prospective employees were allegedly put off by the Duchess of Sussex's manner during interviews. The source described Meghan as 'snobbish and rude' and claimed that word of her alleged behaviour had spread among local housekeepers.

The claims add another chapter to the long-running scrutiny surrounding Meghan and Prince Harry's relationships with household staff, dating back to their time as working royals. However, the latest allegations remain unverified and have not been independently established.

Page Six Source Claims Meghan Markle 'Snobbish and Rude' in Staff Interviews

According to Page Six, an unnamed source familiar with the situation claimed Meghan had trouble staffing her California home with housekeepers before the family's planned move back to the UK.

'She had trouble hiring maids because a lot of the housekeepers in Montecito didn't want to work for them,' the insider claimed.

The source alleged that Meghan often conducted interviews herself and could come across as 'really snobbish and rude'. The source added that 'some of them were so offended by the way she spoke to them that word started getting around'.

The source further claimed that the alleged reputation became a running joke in the wealthy California enclave. 'It got to the point where people would joke that all the maids in Montecito hated them,' the source said.

The claims have not been independently verified. Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex also did not respond to Page Six's request for comment.

Meghan Markle's History as the Alleged 'Duchess of Difficult'

The Page Six allegations follow previous reports about Meghan's relationships with staff during her time as a working royal. British journalist Tom Quinn has previously claimed that some palace staff referred to her as the 'Duchess of Difficult'.

Quinn has based such accounts on unnamed current or former palace staff. One source quoted by him said Meghan could be difficult while trying to navigate what they described as a 'positively medieval, labyrinthine system'.

The same source claimed Meghan was also nicknamed 'Mystic Meg' because she was viewed as 'so new agey, so woke, about so many things'.

Between 2018 and 2020, Quinn's sources also discussed alleged tensions surrounding Meghan's relationship with palace staff. Another former staff member reportedly told him that Meghan was less accustomed to managing staff within the royal household system than Prince Harry.

The source described Meghan as 'really friendly, perhaps overfriendly' at times before allegedly becoming 'irritated' when staff did not respond instantly.

These accounts are based on statements attributed to unnamed sources and should not be treated as independently established facts. They also do not, by themselves, establish the reasons behind any individual staff member's departure.

Sussexes' Staff Departures Raise Fresh Questions

The latest housekeeper claims come amid years of reported staff turnover surrounding the Sussexes.

Senior aides and communications staff who have left the couple include personal assistant Melissa Toubati, chief of staff Sara Latham, executive Toya Holness and Netflix executive Ben Browning.

In August 2024, reports claimed that 18 staff members had left Meghan's then-lifestyle venture, American Riviera Orchard, amid reports that she was struggling to appoint a chief executive.

The figure was cited in reports surrounding the departure of Prince Harry's chief of staff Josh Kettler after about three months in the role. At the time, a representative described the split as mutual, with both sides agreeing that the position was not the right fit.

More recently, communications staffers Kyle Boulia, Charlie Gipson and Ashley Hansen have left the Sussexes' team. Chief communications officer Meredith Maines stepped down in December 2025 after about a year in the role, marking the 11th publicist exit linked to the couple since they stepped back from royal duties in 2020.

However, staff departures alone do not establish why employees left or whether their decisions were connected to Meghan or Harry's treatment of them.

In December 2025, PR expert Mayah Riaz told the Mirror that high turnover in communications could indicate a deeper structural issue, while also acknowledging the intense pressure surrounding the Sussexes' public roles.

The latest Page Six allegations therefore add to the existing scrutiny surrounding the Sussexes' staffing history. However, there is no independent evidence establishing that Meghan's alleged treatment of employees was responsible for the reported staff departures.