Meghan Markle ‘governed by fear’ as staff speak out about her and Harry’s management style

A royal author has claimed that palace staff thought Meghan ‘played the victim but was a bully’ – while Prince William thought she had an ‘agenda’ from the outset – claims the couple have always denied

Meghan Markle “governed by fear” and Prince William thought she had an “agenda” when she joined the royal family, according to an explosive book.

In Battle of the Brothers, author Robert Lacey claims that William decided to split his household from the Sussexes’ after an angry phone conversation about claims that Meghan was bullying palace staff in 2018.

One courtier said ‘Meghan governed by fear’ and when approached about her behaviour she was said to have replied, “It’s not my job to coddle people.”

Furthermore, staff claim in the book that Meghan “played the victim, but was a bully” and treated courtiers poorly in line with her experiences in Hollywood, an approach adopted by Harry, who was also heard ‘screaming’ at his staff. One courtier told Lacey: “I overheard a conversation between Harry and one of his top aides. Harry was screaming down the phone. Team Sussex was a really toxic environment.”

Meghan and Harry have repeatedly denied any bullying allegations, stating that they are victims of a “smear campaign”. But William is alleged to have told a friend he thought his sister-in-law had an ‘agenda’ and felt ‘hurt’ and ‘betrayed’ by the rift, further telling a friend his wife Kate ‘had been wary of Meghan from the start’.

The 2018 email came from Jason Knauf, communications secretary to both the Waleses and Sussexes, in October 2018. William heard the allegations from Simon Case, his private secretary, who was sent the email. The Prince immediately picked up the phone to call his brother, but the conversation ended with Harry slamming down the phone, the book claims.

William was so enraged by the bullying allegation because he knew the staff personally and considered them to be assets to the palace. As a result, he decided to ‘throw Harry out’. According to Lacey, it also confirmed William’s suspicions that Meghan was hostile to the royal system, and he wondered if she planned all along to bring Harry with her to the US.

William and Harry’s once close relationship now lies in tatters, with reports suggesting it has been more than two years since the brothers last spoke. But, one former adviser to Harry has revealed that as he approaches 40, the former Duke of Sussex spends most of his time thinking of the past. The source said: “All he does is spend time looking back. If only he could wrench his neck around and look forwards.

“He has ended up isolated from his family and most of his old mates, in an environment where your friendships are not like the ones you forged as a young man. He used to love a night out in the pub and hanging out in the country with friends. Maybe he has grown into a different person, but do I think he’d really suit the Californian lifestyle? No. Now we’ve seen it all play out, what has that left him with? On the surface, an enviable lifestyle — but for the Harry I know, I can’t imagine that gilded exile in California is where he wanted to end up.”

Harry’s tell-all book Spare is thought by many – including close friends – to have been the final nail in the coffin for him and William. One commented: “I can’t believe he’d stoop so low. It’s outrageously disloyal. Oprah, Netflix and then the book? Three strikes and you’re out.” Another friend of William and Harry’s said: “Harry and Meghan could have left with dignity and decency and not trashed the institution. The conclusion is they’ve made money from trashing his family.”