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 article, which cited an unnamed source familiar with the situation, some prospective employees were reportedly put off by the Duchess of Sussex's alleged 'snobbish and rude' manner during interviews, with Page Six reporting 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. While the latest allegations remain unverified, they have once again placed scrutiny on claims about Meghan's alleged treatment of staff.

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

According to a Page Six article, which cited an unnamed source familiar with the situation, 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 Page Six 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, and representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not respond to Page Six's request for comment.

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

This is not the first time Meghan's treatment of staff has come under scrutiny. British journalist Tom Quinn has previously reported that she was dubbed the 'Duchess of Difficult' by some palace staff during her time as a working royal.

One palace staff member told Quinn that Meghan could be difficult while trying to navigate what they described as a 'positively medieval, labyrinthine system'. The same source said Meghan was also nicknamed 'Mystic Meg' for being viewed as 'so new agey, so woke, about so many things'.

Between 2018 and 2020, the source also discussed tensions surrounding Meghan's relationship with palace staff. Another former staff member told Quinn that Meghan was not always comfortable managing staff because she was less accustomed to the royal household system than Prince Harry.

The source described her as 'really friendly, perhaps overfriendly' at times before becoming 'irritated' when staff did not respond instantly. The claims are based on accounts from unnamed former or current palace staff quoted by Quinn and should not be treated as independently established facts.

Sussexes' Long Pattern of Staff Departures Raises 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 Sara Latham, executive Toya Holness and Netflix executive Ben Browning.

In August 2024, reports said the couple had lost at least 18 staff members since their marriage in 2018, with nine or more departures occurring after they moved to California in 2020.

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, with the split described by a representative as mutual and 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 a particular reason for the turnover. 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 an existing pattern of scrutiny around the Sussexes' staffing history. There is no independent evidence establishing that alleged treatment of employees was responsible for the reported departures.