A Channel 5 documentary aired on Saturday has reignited allegations that Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, was an 'ultimate bridezilla' in the lead-up to her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry, with claims that staff were left 'hugely traumatised' by the experience.
Documentary details staff trauma
The programme, titled Harry & Meghan: The Wedding That Split Two Families, explored the royal crisis surrounding the wedding, including reports of difficult working conditions. Charlotte Griffiths, editor at large of the Mail on Sunday, stated that Meghan was reportedly challenging to work with. Griffiths claimed Meghan objected to the 'musty, stale odour' of the 5th-century St George's Chapel and demanded staff spray perfume to scent the venue before guests arrived.
According to Griffiths, 'People will argue no smoke without fire, and more and more, these stories appear. It was one of those things where staff were getting disgruntled, and it got bigger and bigger.' She added that the staff now call themselves 'The Sussex Survivors' and believe they suffer from PTSD, saying, 'They think they've got PTSD, they are hugely traumatised by this experience of working for Harry and Meghan.'
Allegations of dictatorial behaviour
Victoria Ward, deputy royal editor of the Daily Telegraph, said Meghan's demanding behaviour extended beyond her staff. 'The behaviour isn't just reserved for her staff. I think she was becoming quite dictatorial and demanding. She was busy, busy, busy and expected everyone else to fall into line.'
The documentary noted that in 2018, Meghan and Harry shared royal households with Prince William and Kate Middleton, who are known to be 'close with their staff'. Griffiths suggested that Meghan's Hollywood-style treatment of staff inflamed tensions between the couples, saying, 'Meghan comes on the scene and starts treating everyone like a Hollywood assistant. And that inflamed the rift between William and Kate on the one hand and Meghan and Harry on the other.'
Legal denial of bullying claims
Meghan's lawyer, Jenny Afia, a partner at Schillings, dismissed allegations of bullying made by former Kensington Palace staff. Afia stated that the depiction of the Duchess as a bully 'doesn't match my experience of her at all'. She added, 'I think the first thing is to be really clear about what bullying is because the term gets used very, very casually. My daughter called me a bully last week when I asked her to brush her teeth - she's seven years old. So the term is used very freely, and it's a very, very damaging term as we know, particularly I think for a career woman.'
