Insider Claims Meghan Markle 'Hissed’ and Left Staffer in Tears On First Royal Tour: 'It Was Very...'

The alleged incident happened at an event in Fiji, where things had quickly turned south given the heat.

After marrying into the royal fold, Meghan Markle has been plagued by allegations of bullying her staff. Although the Duchess of Sussex has vehemently denied these claims, reports of her past behavior continue to resurface. Royal correspondent Rebecca English claimed that Markle once ‘turned and hissed’ at a staffer and demanded her to leave. The humiliating exchange reportedly reduced the aide to tears.

English alleged that the incident happened at an event in Fiji, where things had quickly turned south. Markle, who was pregnant at the time, had embarked on a tour to Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, and Fiji in autumn 2018. Speaking to the Daily Mail, English said, “I was there at the time and witnessed Meghan turn and hiss at a member of her entourage, clearly incandescent with rage about something, and demand to leave.” She added, “I later saw that same, female, highly distressed member of staff sitting in an official car, with tears running down her face. Our eyes met, and she lowered hers, humiliation etched on her features.”

The Sun reported that Markle was concerned about the presence of UN Women, a group that promotes women's empowerment. Footage showed her abruptly being whisked out by security after whispering something to her aide. Reports suggest she left because the crowd had grown hard to manage. One witness from the event told The Mirror, “It was very hot and humid in there, so perhaps it wasn't the best environment for a pregnant woman. After speaking for about a minute, she broke off and spoke to the same aide again before she was whisked out of the market very soon after.”

English claims that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s staff allegedly refer to themselves as the 'Sussex Survivors Club.’ She also mentioned that some of her staff have also suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after working for the couple. Another scathing allegation came last year from an ex-royal staff member who claimed Markle ‘screamed down the phone’ at her florist for 30 minutes straight. Speaking to the Sunday Times, the source said, “They vowed never to work with her again, despite the prestige of having her as a client. If you were working for her, you were often treated like a tradesman who could be treated like s***.” Staffers have reportedly also claimed that Markle ‘barks’ out orders and sends angry emails at 5 am.

Markle’s reported horrid behavior towards her Palace staff has earned her the moniker ‘Duchess Difficult.’ Royal author Tom Quinn, in his book Yes Ma'am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants, revealed that she was also called ‘Me-Gain’ and ‘Di Lite’, reportedly because staff found her difficult to work with. A Palace staffer allegedly told Quinn, “She could be difficult because she was finding life difficult — trying to feel her way and work out the intricacies of a positively medieval, labyrinthine system.” Markle, on her part, has continued to deny these allegations through her PR team.