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When a UK newspaper reported in 2021 that the Duchess of Sussex had been accused of bullying Buckingham Palace staff during her time as a working royal, her husband, the Duke of Sussex, fiercely defended her, labelling it a “smear” campaign. Now, he could be forgiven for wondering if the reports contained shades of truth.
In a shocking take-down by US entertainment bible The Hollywood Reporter, Meghan is accused of “making grown men cry” and being a “dictator in high heels” who has cycled through staff.
The publication’s sources declared Prince Harry was nice enough, but “enabled” his wife’s alleged behaviour.
“Given two similar stories have come out on separate sides of the Atlantic [Ocean], Harry must be wondering if he should have questioned the veracity of the UK reports from a few years back a little more closely,” reveals one long-time royal insider.
If the new The Hollywood Reporter article has caused concern for Harry, it couldn’t have come at a worse time for Meghan, whose Hollywood princess dream is rapidly crumbling.
It’s been widely claimed that Prince Harry is keen to return to public life in the UK, and has been hoping for an olive branch from his father and brother.
That branch arrived last week in the form of both King Charles and the Prince of Wales publicly wishing Prince Harry a happy birthday via social media for the first time in several years. Interestingly, Meghan, 43, did not appear in the image shared by Clarence House and Kensington Palace.
“The palace is willing to facilitate Harry’s return – but that is unlikely to include Meghan,” says the source.
Meanwhile, a new poll in the UK has shown a huge increase in public desire for Prince Harry to return to royal duties permanently. It went from a 25 per cent back in March to 34 per cent this month. Meghan dropped from 25 per cent to 21 per cent in the same period.
With this in mind, a palace source says the King may invite Harry to Clarence House for peace talks, without Meghan. Sources predict this face-to-face meeting will occur at the end of September, coinciding with the duke’s expected appearance at the annual WellChild Awards.
“Harry would jump at the chance to see his dad,” says another source. “He’s learnt his lesson about turning his back on family.”
A trip back to the UK leaving Meghan behind would give Prince Harry the chance to reinvestigate the palace bullying claims, now that The Hollywood Reporter’s exposé has surfaced.
“Harry has long been pretty blinkered where Meghan is concerned, but surely he can’t ignore claims as strong as that,” speculates one insider. “With his dad back in his corner, and more ugly allegations coming out about Meghan, some friends hope Harry will eventually see the light and come home for good – without her.”
