The number of asinine stories about the Duchess of Sussex in the British press these days… I just don’t know. I mean, I get it from a financial standpoint for the British tabloids – clearly, they can try to sell the Duchess of Cambridge as the most perfect sister-wife Future Queen ever, but those stories are ultimately quite boring and dull and there’s a limit to who is really buying it at this point. The tabloids still clearly see the Sussexes as their cash-cows and there’s still such a deep interest in hearing about Meghan’s comings and goings in particular. So that’s my explanation for why all of these nonsense stories are still appearing, months after the Sussexes left the UK. Plus, the royal-biographer industry just keeps churning out all of these asinine revisionist history accounts of what actually happened two years ago. Enjoy:
Meghan Markle was ‘very sensitive’ about being ‘number two’ to Kate Middleton, a royal author has claimed. Royal author Tom Quinn has claimed that during her time in The Firm, Meghan rowed with Kensington Palace staff over ‘getting the sort of attention she deserved.’
Speaking to the Daily Star Online, Tom said Meghan argued with Kate’s staff after they turned down her royal requests, revealing: ‘It was almost as if in that one encounter, it encapsulated for Meghan the problem that she had, that she’s a Princess and she’s number two.’
Tom, who has written a new book Kensington Palace: An Intimate Memoir From Queen Mary To Meghan Markle, claims the incident took place while Prince Harry and Meghan were living at Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace. The royal author said he had spoken to ‘someone who was there’ and was left ‘really uncomfortable’ after Meghan rowed with a member of Kate’s staff.
He said the Duchess had asked the staff member to do something, but they told her: “I’m really sorry I can’t do that because I work for Kate”. Tom claimed Meghan ‘really felt she had been put in her place’ and said that, as a ‘princess’, she had ‘assumed that when you ask staff to do something, they are going to do it.’
Tom claimed Meghan went on to row with the member of staff, leaving Kate ‘horrified’. He said the Duchess had been so upset by the staff’s behaviour because she feels conscious about being treated with the same respect as Kate. He added: ‘She’s very sensitive about not being treated with the same respect that she feels Kate is, so can react badly and doesn’t take it lying down.’
True story, Tom Quinn thinks he’s telling a story of how Meghan was justifiably dressed down by a member of staff, but the story is actually “Meghan asked a staffer to do their job and the staffer threw a disrespectful hissy fit and Meghan put the staffer in his or her place.” This would have been two years ago, right? Back when Meghan and Harry were living within the Kensington Palace complex and… they were sharing staff with William and Kate. Those staffers didn’t just “work for Kate.” They were supposed to work for Harry and Meghan too. And they refused to do their jobs, which is why Harry & Meghan wanted to split from the Cambridges’ office. Besides, I don’t even believe it went down like this. You know why? Because if Meghan and a staff member had actually come to verbal blows, that would have been the centerpiece of yet another “Mean Meghan made Kate cry” story. Instead, Kate’s version of events keeps changing. Currently, we’re supposed to believe that Meghan made Kate cry because of… children’s tights.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Avalon Red.
This is getting ridiculous. It’s been 2+ years now. The Sussexes aren’t even senior working royals.
Heck, she’s not even their boss anymore.
Kate is so irritating. imo
First, we don’t even know this is true… it very probably isn’t.
But in any case, how can you be so sure that they were supposed to share all staff?
I always assumed they had their own assistants and staff.
This isn’t going to go over well here but if someone spoke harshly to someone who worked for me, I would be very annoyed too.
And yes, I know we don’t know if this happened. But if it did, I can see why it would have ruffled feathers.
When they were associated with KP, they had the same staff for the most part I think. I think M had her own private secretary and maybe her own PA, but there was overlap in the general office staff I think, which is why it was a big deal when they split and went under the umbrella of BP and Charles was then paying for a completely second time.
Sorry Mumbles I don’t believe anything that comes from these people. Honestly, could you imagine Meghan calling herself princess. Everyone who has met her and discussed her (on record) positively or negatively, has said that she wanted to be called Meghan or Meg – not Duchess or Princess.
Why should we believe “anonymous palace sources” or gossipers?
Damnit. Charles was paying for a completely separate STAFF. Sorry, my brain is fried this morning!
If she did this to Catherine Quinn then perhaps I could see this as inappropriate but the underlings are paid by Charles to work for members of KP and not just Kate. Besides Kate doesn’t do any work so this staff person was clearly used to surfing the net and doing not much of anything. It was probably a shock that Meghan dared to ask her to do her job.
@Mumbles do you really think if a staffer told Camilla or even Sophie that “Sorry, I work for Kate” b.s. they would have gotten away with it? You don’t think that person wouldn’t have been bowing or scraping and saying “my pleasure” to them? If this even happened at all, the staffer would have been totally wrong to refuse a request from a senior royal. And if it is true, then what does it say about Kate that she is more horrified at Meghan reprimanding a staff member than she is about a staff person, an employee, refusing Meghan’’s request? If the person had a problem with doing things for Meghan than she should have spoken to Kate about it and not popped off at the mouth.
@nic19 I’m wondering if this happened after that Melissa person was fired and before Samantha Cohen stepped in? At any rate even if it was Catherine Quinn, it would still be a shit thing to do to refuse the request when you know Meghan’s staff would be in transition. And even someone at Catherine Quinn’s level would never refuse a request from Meghan, a senior royal and family member unless she knew William and Kate would be ok with it. I think we see where the whole “unprotected” by KP narrative resulted from.
The professional response would have been:
That item falls under Ms. Pamela Fitzroy Smedley-Smythe’s responsibility portfolio. Let me get her on the phone for you.
There are multiple scenarios that arise:
1. This never happened, full stop.
2. Meghan in a professional manner asked a person who works for Kate to do something and the person, having worked for the laziest person in the world, overreacted (which might have to do with racial biases, implicit or not).
3. Meghan asked a person charged with working for both couples to do something and the staffer told her she worked for Kate, which wasn’t true.
4. Meghan asked someone she knew worked for Kate to do something, the person told her she worked for Kate, and Meghan was harsh or short with her.
My comment only applies to possible scenario #4. In all other scenarios, the situation is being misconstrued unfairly toward Meghan.
None of us know which of these scenarios happened.
That’s the thing @Mumbles, we don’t know. I hate to be a pain about this just because I actually like Meghan and I in general just find Kate so boring anyway… but there could have been a misunderstanding. I’m only speaking as a communications and PR professional who worked in public institutions and at government institutions… and to be honest I have been in positions where my line manager is technical x (in this person’s case, it’s Kate), and therefore my work for them takes priority. Most times, I’m happy to help other teams, but I have used the whole “sorry, x is my boss, please ask them”, before I take on a task that’s outside of my job description. This is in general so I avoid any missteps, and neglect my usual work, and so my line manager is aware I’m busy. This is common practice!
So if Meghan got mad at her because she said that… that’s really unfortuante. I have been in this position before where another manager asked for me to contribute to their team but it was not my usual task, and I asked if they could ask my line manager, and I can imagine if they shouted at me and put me to tears, my line manager, no matter how lazy and incompetent they are, would be equally as upset…
This is just my two cent. And I really think it’s a clash of cultures (I live and work in the EU). I really hate to say it but it was not the same when I lived and worked in America. Often different managers felt entitled to give you more tasks than your TOR (terms of reference), just because they are higher up than you. It’s not the same way in europe – your line of supervision is so straightforward. It sounds more like Kate purposely also kept her staff (aka under her direct supervision) busy with her tasks, and Meghan didn’t have hers..). And if I’m honest it sounds like there were tensions between Kate and Meghan that spilled over with the staff. The staffer could have geniunely been caught in the crossfires (lord knows as a communications/PR professional I’ve done the same.). And I hate to say it, but sometimes it’s not really “my job” to take on another workload from another manager without my line manager’s approval. A good staffer knows that’s one way to get into a lot of troube.
I guess I just cant imagine a situation* where, as a professional, if someone who was not my supervisor asked me to do something, I said “I don’t work for you.” There are other ways to get that point across in a MUCH more professional manner, especially in the kind of environment that is the royal family. Do you think a staffer would say to Harry, I don’t work for you? Absolutely not.
In general we have no evidence that Meghan is rude to staff so the idea that she had a “row” with one of Kate’s staffers is just so ludicrous to me.
*I’m excluding really bad toxic work environments where you may have to draw very strong lines.
Oh and also to point out the obvious – Meghan is a professional who has worked in many different types of professional environments and with many different types of organizational hierarchies. Do people really think that she doesn’t know how to navigate those hierarchies? She knows as much as any of us, I would imagine.
This is a family where they prioritize rank and hierarchy over each other so a subordinate staff member giving attitude to a member of the family should get them upset at the staff member and not the family member. For Kate to be upset about this shows she doesn’t consider Meghan a part of the family.
Do we think that Andrew hasn’t been a dick to staff? Of course he has and yet those stories barely make it to the news and Charles is never linked to them.
@becks, and yes of course meghan knows heirarachies, but Meghan as far as I know has never worked at a European public institution, with different work styles, conduct, labour laws, etc. I worked in America and other places for years before I moved to Europe and it was also a learning curve for me to find out that there are very strict labour laws, rules of conduct, and you can’t just get ‘fired’ like in America if you upset your boss. It doesn’t work like this. It’s also why I’m sorry to say but Europe has fared better labour/economy wise when the pandemic hit the economies. After all, there is a reason why we pay those extremely high taxes – they pay for the labour unions, your labour council representative, etc who all negotiate better working conditions on your behalf as an employee.
PS: And many outlets reported Meghan’s PA left after 6 months because she’d been in tears more than once.
No, we don’t know if that’s true either, but those are three separate stories of upset staff.
Perhaps all were misunderstandings?
Perhaps all are lies.
Whether lies or truth, that they’re leaking at all tells a tale of its own.
No one can be sure that they were sharing staffers, but I’m sure Meghan knew who was supposed to be working for her. I don’t think she was just stopping random people within the place demanding things be done for her. The whole point of these stories is to make Meghan seem like a Marie Antoinette type diva demanding everyone bow down to whatever she wanted. Weren’t they all sharing Poor Jason for a while? So they could have been sharing other staffers. Or Poor Jason is the staffer badmouthing Meghan on the regular in the press…..
ArdnamurchanM you are absolutely right!! The continuing onslaught of the same stories being slightly tweaked to fit the narratives that Meghan was impossible, rude, demanding and cruel will continue as long as they can garner clicks and more stories. Also, this was 2 years ago, right? This is the same type story that came out back then but they have changed the story slightly to encourage the reader that this is another case of the impossible Meghan!!
Also, unless I see a source, it’s all BS!!
The spin will be spun as long as KP wants it because blaming the victim exonerates them from guilt,
Prepare for this to go on and on and on…big eyes roll
IF this happened, it doesn’t make Kate look any better. They have a staff and if the royals are so tight about their protocols and hierarchy than obviously Megan is technically “above” the staff. However not in Megan’s case cause she’s an outsider biracial American who thinks she knows it all. I hope this is true because that royal staffer needed a dressing down that could be reported back to whoever authorized said attitude. These games are childish and something out of Downton Abbey. If I were Meg I would have said enough is enough. We’re not going to spend our lives fighting with the entire system against us. Y’all can fight with yourselves. Byyyeeee.
They should keep these stories vague cause when they get specific Meghan doesn’t look bad, the supposed wrong party does. If we’re to believe Meghan made Kate cry over tights (version 1) or hemlines (version 2), Kate looks dumb cause it’s not her wedding. Not Meghan. If we’re too believe Meghan had to check someone for not doing their job, she doesn’t look bad imo, THEY do. Is there a culture clash I’m not acknowledging? Cause I don’t know why they’re expected us to hate Meghan from reading these supposed true stories. It sounds like she had to deal with a lot of bullshit.
I think the royal courtiers at KP are a special breed of lazy because I work with our British HQ and everyone there has the same work ethic has we do in North America.
It’s one of those stories where their target audience with lap it up, whilst those aware of the shittery will roll their eyes. The papers know who they’re selling to. I don’t think they’ve cared for accuracy for a long time.
Agree about the target audience. Regarding Kaiser’s comment on the royal biography industry… I really hope history gets it right and future generations understand the Tatler version of Will and Kate, and not the Daily Mail version of Meghan – or that they are smart enough to understand the BS that’s ruling the reporting. It’s like historical figures that are smeared after their deaths, only to now come to light as much more nuanced and interesting, with history in their favor.
+1000
The Daily Mail: Over A Century Of Not Bothering With Accuracy!
Source: ‘The Man From The Daily Mail’, Irish Folk Song circa 1920s.
The hatred they have for Meghan is very sad and frightening. I have a feeling, the staff were enboldened by The Cambridges, they were determined not to take instructions from her, and tried to undermine her, and used the protocol line to hide behind it. Meghan never got the support from Kate that is why the courtiers were disrespecful to Meghan just like the newspapers and the RF.
There was sabotage from day 1 in KP. Meghan working hard, exposed Kate as lacklustre and without fresh ideas.
The people who dislike Meghan on social media dislike her intensely mocking her by calling her by her first name, trashing Harry for marrying her, and if Kate is criticized they get hyper and upset. The Queen protects Andrew but never protected Meghan from all the offensive hostility to her.
The people who go out of their way to call her “Rachel” just amuse me. “Oh you discovered her deep dark secret there…. it’s not public record or anything.”
Unpopular opinion, but maybe Meghan is an asshole? Not saying she can’t get good work done, and certainly not saying she deserves any of the racist vitriol that came her way, but we don’t know her. Her dad’s an asshole, her best friend is a huge asshole…
LOL. And possible troll.
Except no one has ever accused her of that, before or after this alleged, vague incident where she got into it with one of Kate’s staff one time over 2 years ago.
And just like tights gate, we got only the reactionary account instead of details. For years it was “Meghan made Kate cry” and we finally got the story that ended up being that Kate cried because she’s a diva who was dictating what happened at other people’s weddings. I assume, since no one will actually say what went on with this one staffer, that it was not all Meghans fault.
If she was, then we would have heard more about it than just these stupid stories where Kate (or her staffer) is the victim. Instead, most people who have worked with her talk about how nice she was, how down to earth, etc.
She has over a decade of real work and somehow they can’t find line ups of former coworkers to hate on her. Maybe the asshole is Kate telling her taxpayer funded assistant to give attitude to Meghan.
These people say she just pretends to be charitable and all that and it was all a ruse to get Harry. Yet, Meghan has been working with charities and social causes since she was 10…
These people say Meghan is a diva, demanding thing and a nightmare, yet she worked on Hollywood consistently without a problem, an industry well known for labelling women ” difficult” and being built on double standards.
So, it does not take much more than common sense to see that this unpopular opinion you mentioned is actually a dumb opinion. The facts do not add up.
The simplest explanation is usually true: newspapers were too happy to try and dig dirty on meghan, and all they found were the Markles and a few staffers at KP whose loyalties and motivations are very clear.
Because of her reputation for the 36 years before she joined the RF. That’s how we know she’s not an asshole.
So you didn’t see the video from a day ago where a panel of journalists discussed being asked by newspapers editors to write discrediting stories about Meghan. They were told they could make up the story lines if they wanted too, but it needed to be negative.
Where was this video? I’d be interested in seeing that!
Do you have a link? I’d definitely want to see that
Funny, she managed to work on a tv show for years and there wasn’t a single rumour about her being an asshole. Just weeks before the wedding, the tabloids were making fun of her and her “American ways” because she was too nice to the staff and would hug them. Everyone that works with Meghan says she’s nice. But she’s supposed to be an asshole because her father (who can’t stop selling her out) and her friend are assholes?
No.
Oh good lord. To Laura, above, who said Meghan might be an asshole, based on the fact that we don’t know her.
Laura why would you say someone is an asshole *because* you don’t know them? Why is that *more* likely than that Meghan is a good, decent person? What has she done to swing the balance so far in the wrong direction for you?
You don’t like her father or best friend. Why is Meghan assumed to share all their worst traits? Why is she responsible for a father who clearly doesn’t listen to or respect her? Why not compare her to her mother who does play a significant role in her life and is close to her?
The issue here is that the British tabloid media is well known for lying, for writing misleading and sensationalized stories, about celebrities. They’ve been sued, by quite a few people for criminal behavior, and they’ve lost. They wiretapped Charles’s phone, Harry’s. So just because they print a rumor from an unnamed source doesn’t make it credible. In fact it makes it quite likely to be fabricated out of thin air.
Why is the worst always assumed about Meghan? Can she not be just a normal person, not perfect (any more than any one else is perfect), but clearly working hard to help worthy causes and live a good life with her family? Why do we always get these articles that are so spiteful and angry? Why can’t we just enjoy a young woman in love wearing lovely clothes and doing good works? Why does there have to be this overt campaign of negativity based on nothing?
The only answer I can see is in British anti-Black racism and classism. And the tabloids’ insatiable desire for human sacrifice.
It’s possible that she’s a little difficult or even a bit bratty, but generally speaking, those things come out. Pre-Harry, she was not big enough to keep working consistently if she had developed a diva-reputation.
Given that the tabloids have been out for blood, I think the most likely scenario is that they are lying/spinning things because they hate her.
If the Sun had to hire a private investigator to dig up dirt on Meghan it’s because there wasn’t enough obvious “dirt” on the surface. Or not enough that would be interesting or could be spun to be interesting for the tabs.
Funny how KP staff constantly went to the press on how awful Meghan is but none of Harry and Meghan’s personal staff did.
yeah, none of their Sussex Royal staff has had anything bad to say about them, the ones that had parted, did on seemingly good terms.
Yeah Ginger/ S808, and non of Harry and Meghan’s staff run to the press to say anything about KP staff/courtiers or about Will and Kate or any other royal family member (as of yet).
Why is it always KP staff/courtier running their mouth and leaking private information about Harry and Meghan in/to the press? They must feel very confidant and free of fair (our encouraged) to do so. Just look a the latest C. Jones/ boyfriend selling private information about Harry and Meghan story. He is still working at KP and it looks like no investigation is being carried out about how the information could have left KP and reached the desk of a gossip Sun journo).
What does all these ‘incidents’ tells us about the ‘culture and attitude at KP/ William&Kate’s court?
When I read this headline I thought it was referring to a rowing team or something like that and was like huh that’s really random. But of course it’s another smear campaign.
Kate is an absolute nightmare and meangirl. She’s still desperately trying to deflect negative attention to Meghan.
This is one story KP actually denied at the time about Kate saying the staffer actually worked for her, not Meghan.
We know that their press team would deny stories for Kate and Will but refuse to do what Harry and Meghan wanted. Maybe this request was even part of that.
Good point Molly – this story was denied at the time it was first printed AND the original story was that the row was between Kate and Meghan, because Meghan asked a staffer to do something and Kate said something about how Meghan couldn’t ask her stuff for things or couldn’t talk to them like that. But that was denied. so its interesting that its resurfaced with just a slight tweak that of course makes Meghan look worse.
Lol. Tom Quinn was on Fox News saying that it was harder for the courtiers to accept Meghan than the royals because she was so ‘different’. I love that he’s so insulated that he doesn’t realise that doesn’t actually make the royal household sound good.
“So different” == “so black” I’m sure being American played into it, but really the real reason is racism and playing into all the racist stereotypes of black women. And churning all the angry white women on both sides of the Atlantic into a frenzy about a biracial woman marrying their dream prince.
All pettiness front and center- I hate those pics of Kate in that green dress. I see them and I think, that is the most unflattering thing I have ever seen her wear
I agree. I couldn’t even continue scrolling as I got fixated on those horrible darts and then started wondering why she purposely wears tops with darts that stick out so much. On her wedding day all I could see were those horrible boob darts. There are too many gold buttons on this green dress and that tie thing at the neck is something a doll dress would have. Awful.
She has a lot of dresses with unfortunate placement of darts and buttons.
Isn’t this the same story that’s been told for two years and the facts around keep changing like Meghan making Kate cry? Wasn’t the original version that Meghan got in an argument with Kate’s staff at Amner hall, while staying there over Christmas?
so racist. angry black woman.
EXHAUSTED.
Wow, KP is soooo afraid of Omid and Carolyn’s book that they are trying anything to spin Kate and William as not the as$holes they fear FF will make them out to be. What they don’t realize is these stories make William and Kate not only look bad but incompetent as employers.
They are so scared.
The only part of this story that I actually believe is the line about Meghan feeling very sensitive about not getting the same respect Kate was given. I can see her feeling that way because we all know she WASNT given the same respect as Kate. and it had nothing to do the line of succession.
Other than that, this story really just adds into the narrative KP has been pushing….which is not flattering to KP but they clearly think it is….where the people at KP (including the Cambridges) just dont want to work. these stories all have an air of “Meghan wanted to work and expected the paid staff to work and that was a big problem.” It doesn’t make the KP staff look good, but clearly someone thinks it does.
Yep, Meghan must have figured why they were not respecting her and this made her and Harry feel less charitable towards them.
The truth is, these people working at KP are either aristocrats themselves or adjacent people, the kind of people not only used to be lazy and complimented by doing the minimum, but also classist and racist.
and as usual, casually racist people do not accept they are racist, hence all this blame the victim attitude- they blame on Meghan, an intelligent woman who can count, being suddenly oblivious to the fact Harry is fith in line, not first.
If these people were indeed Kate’s staff, then this story tells me that Kate is a terrible manager. Top CEOs have better communication and organization 🙄
READ.
That green monstrosity is coming back to haunt me. It’s like she took all of her bad cosplay dresses and had them put together with a little bow to troll us all. Truly the stuff of nightmares.
I was on Reddit and read a really Interesting article on how people in the estranged parents forum speak about being cut off from their kids, And it reminded me so much of these “Meghans the Devil” stories.
They always say something like, “I just gently asked my son if he was sure he should marry that girl, and he yelled at me until I cried and then wrote me an angry letter about it as well, I feel so hurt”, but they never say what their son said in his rant or letter, because if they did actually reveal what he said it would show that that their anger was justified and that there was much more to the story than “gently asking a question”. They focus on what they said, then their emotions without ever giving the child’s side of the story so people will have pity on them. This is 100% of all Meghan and Harry stories. William and Kate have gentle words with actual quotes, Meghan and Harry have anger and non descriptive ranting. We don’t know what happened between Meghan and the Staffer because, just like the now debunked “Kate crying” story, we only know that someone was upset after talking to Meghan and we are being forced to see it from the upset persons POV. They won’t give any details about Meghans part because they don’t want you to be able to take her side on it.
100 %. The stories are always vague or just flat out don’t make sense because the instigator and person who looks bad isn’t Meghan. They were rude to her, not the other way around.
This whole soap opera has not made sense since day one. I hope with all the books going out that we, the gossip blogging commentariat that keeps the world going ’round properly, get the WHOLE truth.
More distraction. BRF is terrified that Gigi will spill Andrew’s tea and the Omid book.
Gigi doesn’t even have to say a word. Every time her name is mentioned Andrew’s is thrown in too. So just her being around and now in custody means this will drag on and they will not be able to easily sweep it away.
If Meghan was mad about not being given the same respect as Kate, it was because SHE HAD A RIGHT TO BE! Kate’s not the Princess of Wales yet, so they’re both just Duchesses, co-workers at the same job title level. Being treated with less respect than the white British duchess just boils down to xenophobia and racism, which should absolutely be called out on the spot.
I thought you meant rowing. Like in an actual boat. 😳😂😂😂
Oh the perils and irrational nature of the English language 🙂
What was the request? Who was the staff? When did this happen? What was actually said?
This is so vague.
Also, lol that he has to put ‘Meghan Markle’ in his title to sell.
And from what I have read, the book is a flop and only about 20 pages mention either W&K or H&M. In a way he’s worse than Lady Crypt Keeper and her “book”.
it didnt seem like they had an issue in the photos above. I think media likes to cause drama and wanted to to pit them 2 women against each other.
Am I the only one who thought this was actually an article about ROWING in a BOAT based on the headline? LOL. I literally understood Meghan rowed with Kate’s staffer aka they went rowing on the Thames or something. So I wasn’t sure why that was so interesting, only maybe we were discovering Meghan’s newfound love of crew and that she picked it up as a pastime in London and occasionally rowed with someone who worked for Kate. Or had met Kate’s staffer years ago while doing crew somewhere random. That is literally what I thought this article was about.
I forgot “row” in British English also means argument so I wasn’t expecting it for it to be about Meghan and Kate’s staffer getting into an argument, but this made way more sense than Meghan rowing in a boat with someone who works for Kate LOL.
No one believes this nonsense. The Keen stans will be all over it but even they can smell this one.
@AMELIE 😂😂I too clicked this thinking it was about that kings cup event or something!!! I cant believe they’re still regurgitating old stories thinking it’d convince people that Meghan is so “intimidating” the typical racist narrative of the angry black women making everyone’s lives miserable. KP and courtiers are showing their racist views
All this tells me is that KP staffers were disrespectful to Meghan because their bosses, the DDOC, allowed it. Because most royal staffers would defer to a senior royal and not outright refuse to do something they were asked to do. If a KP staffer felt emboldened enough to deny a request and then state they were Kate’s employee, not Meghan’s, then that’s because they knew their employer felt Meghan was less than the white royals.
Now it’s really coming out how insolently she was treated.
The reasons behind them getting their own own office becomes more and more clear. I think that both Charles and the Queen tried to help the Sussexes with respect to the conflict with the Cambridges (like moving them away from KP) – but they wouldn’t help them when it came to getting out from under the Royal Rota.
Great summary, ArtHistorian- I think you’re correct.
Unfortunately William flanked them (but, hopefully, ultimately himself as well) by unexpectedly embracing the press, so changing palaces couldn’t protect them.
On the problem of the Royal Rota- I wonder how many of these favored papers are financially solvent.
This sounds more like the staff resented Meghan and wanted to put her in her place.
It’s also entirely possible that Meghan didn’t know (or maybe didn’t care?) about what I assume are pretty rigid protocols at the palace dictating who does what on the request of whom. I’m picturing like Downton Abbey where people have very specific tasks i.e. it’s a big deal if the second chambermaid answers the door.
Consuelo Vanderbilt once ask the Butler to light the fire. The Butler told her he would call the footman as it is his job. Consuelo’s response: “Just move out of my way and I will do it myself”! LOL! LOL!
Haha, @baytampabay, that’s exactly what I was picturing!
I believe Meghan did have a row with a staffer but the royals are putting their spin on it instead of telling what really happened:
What really happened was Meghan asked the KP staffer (who was to work for both couples) to do XYZ.
The staffer sneered at Meghan and said “I don’t work for YOU, I work for Duchess Catherine.”
Meghan was offended (as she should be) and upbraided the staffer.
Staffer ran back to Kate to tell her that Meghan was rude to her.
Meghan ran back to Harry to tell him how the staffer who was supposed to be working for both couples refused to work for her.
William and/or Kate go to Harry to tell him to get Meghan under control, who does she think she is?
Harry, knowing how it really went down, told them “Whatever Meghan wants, Meghan gets”.
And that’s what happened. If HARRY had asked the staffer to do XYZ the staffer NEVER would’ve said “I only work for Kate,” the staffer would’ve said “Yes, your highness” and done it.
Mystery solved! Thanks! How long have you been working at Kensington Palace?
😊👍🏻. Well done. Can you come over to my place and unpack my kids arguments? Fair warning…they are all teenagers.
So many things happening here:
1. If it’s true that the staff member worked for both teams, and got snippy with Meghan, asking to be treated with the same respect is appropriate.
2. It’s never okay to order around staff like servants from a bygone era. Even if “servant” is the actual job description, it’s still a job and that’s still a human being deserving of respect. Provided the employer treats the staff member with respect, the employer is deserving of equal respect. Are we meant to believe that Kate is a delight to work for while Meghan was a total diva?
Many staff quit working for Kate. And getting rid of the one just coming back from mat leave was an asshole thing to do.
I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Kate is difficult to work for. She’s never had a real job, which often results in lack of empathy for workers.
The BRF really created an extremely hostile work environment. All the BM claimed the Sussex and Cambridge folk shared staff. Which would make sense as the KP staff worked for William, Kate, and Harry prior to Harry’s wedding.
I can imagine the staff member telling Meghan what they weren’t going to do and the tone in which it was delivered.
It is deeply disturbing that some royals will stick up for their staff but not for their family members. Deeply disturbing. And not classy at all.
Nope. If one of my family members mistreated someone who worked for me, I would have a word with that family member. And as I said above, I’m not saying that’s what happened. I don’t know what happened, and neither do any of us.
Oh yes indeed. Employees come and go while family is forever. It is important not to damage those delicate bonds. I do not condone bad behaviour of any sort but there is no need for a disproportionate response that results in permanent damage and a breakdown of the relationship.
i agree
If i have two bosses, the new boss asks me to do a task that in my job description and i am busy doing nothing (because the previous boss have very little and meaningless project). I will be piss of too. How dare you, a foreigner, a WOC ask me to do my job. I will quickly contact RR to sell my story for 4 thousand pound and jotes down note that said the future queen kate cries when she heard the scandal.
What makes you think it was the staffer who leaked this instead of the Cambridges via an intermediary? The staffer has a lot more to lose if its made public they have leaked and the Cambridges have a lot more to gain.
I don’t think it really matters if the staff member worked for both duchesses or just Kate. Probably they would have been happy to do the bidding of, say, Harry. I’m only speculating but possibly that person was snobby/rude with Meghan, and Meghan got upset because she has experienced racist micro aggressions before and recognises it and is sensitive to it (like most people of colour are). Of course someone like Kate would never understand this perspective and for certain white people (I won’t say all), it is much easier to believe that the black woman is being unreasonable, angry, aggressive, etc.
I had to laugh at the person above who suggested that maybe Meghan is just an asshole. I often lament that we can’t even gossip properly about Meghan because the way she has been treated has been so disgusting that it feels right to defend her. But sometimes I wish she was a tiara fit throwing diva! But guess what? Racist attacks are still wrong, even if she was a difficult person.
I’m guessing staffers didn’t want to work for Meghan because they are racist like the rest of the royal family.
And with all these recycled stories coming out about Meghan this week, you’d think Andrew wasn’t a whole rapist palling around with a child sexual trafficker.
I think you all are forgetting that you don’t work for royalty so what happens in your workplace doesn’t translate to Kensington Palace. The Queen, Philip, and Anne in particular, are super hung up on protocols and hierarchies so if a courtier did say this to Meghan, they were out of line, full stop. And Meghan never seemed hung up on precedence and being second so she probably told her husband what happened, not knowing what to make of it (as an American) and he chewed someone out.
While I don’t work for royals I have worked at a law firm and no law assistant would ever sass a lawyer and expect to keep their job for long, even if the lawyer who asked them for help wasn’t the lawyer they were specifically assigned to work for. This staff member was unprofessional and if Kate backs the staff member for attitude then she is the bitch here.
The monarchy wasn’t Meghan’s first job. She probably started working at 14. As a teen in the USA one can obtain working papers. I started working at that age. The beaches, pools, camps, hospitals, schools hired teens for the summer. Eight weeks every year until I graduated.
My point is this; if Meghan was such a nightmare why hasn’t any former employer in America bitching about her behavior? Know why because it NEVER happened.
There is something quite unsettling about Britain. They lie and enjoying bullying people( women#1). They wanted Meghan n Archie gone. Yet they continue to bully, lie and trash Meghan. I find it hard to believe these freaks gave 2 💩💩 about Diana. If they did they would have respect for Harry n his wife. They use to big up Harry. Now the marginalize him for breathing.
It’s such a disappointment that these people never take responsibility for the disgusting behavior. They ignored Kate’s two failed charities. They ignored the Wessex lack of support to their charities. They haven’t done any fundraisers in 3 years. Last year they made less then 800. Yet the Wessex expenses were over 150,000 and their unable to support their charities. Sophia had a charity close its doors too.
The New York Post did a article on the British monarchy charities. They need the American dollars. They have two offices 1 in DC and 1 in another state (?). They get big money from America. People aren’t pleased because there’s follow up or evidence of the $$$ being invested into the charities. They give VERY LITTLE to this charities. Philip, Charles and DDOC where accused of skimping the 💰💰💰.
As a woman of color I find it hard to believe Meghan was a bitch toward this powerful family. If Meghan was such a bad ass she would have gone “HAM” of the stolen Muur brooch worn by that wannabe Kent!
The Sussex subconsciously exposed the monarchy of how useless they are. The RR don’t focus on the charities. They focus on looks, fashion and gossip! Their a joke. Why entertain these liars and bullies? Their pissed off for what reason? Look at the books coming out! Really……… The monarchy must be in turmoil because without the Sussex no one outside of cesspool England cares. Major mental illness amongst the entitled!
Whether or not this story is true is irrelevant imo. It is still part of an ongoing vendetta to paint Meghan in a negative light. Do you imagine for a second that any member of the Royal family didn’t have moments of disagreements or testiness with staff? It is grossly unfair that Meghan is held to a completely different standard and this one alleged incident is being discussed repeatedly. It’s like every other day we get another racist misogynistic hit piece on Meghan, who has left the building by the way. Time to move on from her very short time as a senior royal.