Waiter Details Meghan Markle’s Behavior Toward Staff — and It Only Fuels Those Bullying Allegations
Meghan Markle has long faced allegations of mistreating staff, with several reports claiming she reduced aides to tears. Although the Duchess has denied the accusations, some claims continue to resurface, perpetuating a negative portrayal of her. Now, former head waiter Michael Cecchi-Azzolina has added to the controversy, alleging that Markle threw her weight around as a future royal to secure a table at his restaurant. He claimed she appeared unbothered when her assistant mentioned her relationship with Prince Harry to gain preferential treatment.
As reported by the Daily Mail, former maître d' Cecchi-Azzolina revealed in his book, Your Table Is Ready, that her handler attempted to bring up the fact that she was dating a Prince to move past the line for a private table. He penned, "I said, 'I still don't have a private table for you.'" The assistant allegedly replied, "Are you aware my guest is dating Prince Harry and about to be a duchess? Don't you have a private area for us to wait?" Cecchi-Azzolina retorted, "We get the most powerful people in the world that come here — no one really cares about you." He added that as this played out, Markle stood 'aloof' and 'did not say a word' to stop her assistant.
The former head waiter revealed Markle was early into her relationship with Harry when the alleged incident occurred. However, he isn't the only staff member who has accused her of entitled behavior. Royal author Hugo Vickers also detailed an incident where Markle was once so rude to a gardener at Frogmore that the late Queen Elizabeth had to give her a dressing down. Speaking to The Sun, he alleged, "The head gardener went to complain to the Queen, and she told [Meghan] off because she obviously didn’t like people being rude to staff...She probably is not very good with staff or people that she’s employing."
These allegations first emerged in 2018, when longtime royal aide Jason Knauf filed a formal complaint about her alleged behavior. His claims resurfaced in 2021, just as Markle and Harry were preparing for their highly-publicized interview with Oprah Winfrey. As reported by The Times, he alleged, "The Duchess was able to bully two PAs out of the household in the past year," and was ‘seeking to undermine’ the confidence of a third employee. His scathing allegations had Buckingham Palace informing their aides of new rules, which included a robust approach that would allow them to file complaints.
Markle has since responded to allegations that she mistreated her staff to the point they were forced to quit. A spokesperson for Sussexes told People magazine, "The Duchess is saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself and is deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma." Her legal team had also dismissed Knauf's claims as the ‘latest attack on her character.’