Meghan Markle Faces Fresh Claims Over Montecito Housekeepers as Sussexes Prepare for UK Return
Meghan Markle wasn’t winning over staffers in Montecito, according to an insider close to the Duchess of Sussex, pictured above in November 2025.BACKGRID
Meghan Markle is facing a new round of allegations about her relationship with staff, with a source claiming that her reputation among housekeepers in Montecito became so unfavorable that finding people willing to work at the Sussexes’ California home grew increasingly difficult.
The claims, published by Page Six on August 24, come as Meghan, 45, and Prince Harry, 41, prepare to return to Britain with Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, for what has been described as an extended period. Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not respond to the outlet’s request for comment on the housekeeper allegations.
Source Claims Meghan Personally Interviewed Housekeepers
The source claimed Meghan personally interviewed prospective employees and that her manner during some of those conversations was perceived as dismissive or impolite.
The insider further alleged that some candidates were sufficiently offended by those interactions that they discussed their experiences with others. As the stories circulated, the source claimed, Meghan’s reputation became increasingly familiar within Montecito’s domestic-staff community.
Eventually, according to the same source, the situation became the subject of jokes among some local housekeepers, with people reportedly suggesting that domestic workers around Montecito did not want to work for the Sussex household.
These remain allegations from an unnamed source rather than independently established facts, and Harry and Meghan’s representatives did not provide Page Six with a response.
The Claims Arrive Against a History of Staff Turnover
“Meghan would interview people herself and could come across as really snobbish and rude,” the insider claimed. (Markle pictured above in January 2025.)Netflix
The latest allegations have drawn additional attention because Harry and Meghan have previously experienced a series of personnel changes.
In June 2025, Page Six confirmed that four people had departed the couple’s team. Among them were Los Angeles-based deputy press secretary Kyle Boulia and UK press officer Charlie Gipson. Two members of the Sussexes’ private staff had also left their positions.
Those departures came as Harry and Meghan reorganized parts of their operation and brought in new advisers.
Meghan has also faced allegations about her treatment of staff dating back to her period as a working member of the Royal Family.
Former palace employees accused her of bullying, prompting Buckingham Palace to commission a review. The findings were not publicly released, and Meghan denied the allegations. The new Montecito claims should therefore not be treated as proof of those earlier accusations.
Montecito Has Been Home Since 2020
“Some of [the staff] were so offended by the way she spoke to them that word started getting around,” the source said. (Pictured above in January 2025.)Netflix
Harry and Meghan settled in Montecito after stepping away from their roles as senior working royals in 2020.
The wealthy California enclave offered the couple a markedly different environment from royal life in Britain. They raised Archie and Lilibet there while developing their charitable, media and commercial projects.
But according to recent reports, their presence was not welcomed equally by everyone in the community.
A Montecito resident recently told Page Six that some locals had initially worried about the attention surrounding the Sussexes and the Royal Family following their arrival. The source argued that the couple brought an unusually intense media spotlight to a community known for privacy, despite Montecito already being home to numerous high-profile residents.
That source stressed that they were speaking only for themselves and residents they had personally spoken with, rather than claiming to represent Montecito as a whole.
Some Neighbors Reportedly Welcome Their Departure
The source said the Duchess of Sussex’s alleged reputation among local housekeepers eventually became something of a running joke around the ritzy California enclave.Netflix
News of the Sussexes’ planned return to Britain has prompted further claims about how some Montecito residents view the couple.
One local source told Page Six that they were pleased by the prospect of the neighborhood becoming quieter again. Another offered an even more dismissive reaction to their departure.
However, those comments represent individual residents rather than evidence of a community-wide opinion. Montecito remains home to many prominent figures, and there is no basis for suggesting every neighbor shares the same view of Harry and Meghan.
The housekeeper allegations nevertheless add another layer to the conversation surrounding the couple’s final weeks in California before their extended stay in Britain.
Harry and Meghan Are Returning to Britain
Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, have called the posh Santa Barbara County community home since 2020 after stepping back as senior members of the royal family and relocating to California.Clint Brewer Photography / BACKGRID
Page Six reported on August 19 that Harry and Meghan intend to return to the UK with Archie and Lilibet by the end of August.
The children are expected to attend school in Britain during the family’s stay. Sources have said King Charles III was informed of the decision and that spending more time with the King is an important factor behind the move.
The relocation represents a significant change six years after Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties and established their new life in North America.
It does not, however, represent a return to their former positions within the monarchy.
Harry and Meghan are expected to remain non-working members of the Royal Family. They will live privately rather than return to official royal duties and are expected to continue pursuing their own business and professional projects.
The King is reportedly looking forward to having greater opportunities to spend personal time with Harry, Meghan and his grandchildren, while maintaining the distinction between private family relationships and official royal roles.
A New Controversy at a Pivotal Moment
Page Six confirmed Wednesday that Prince Harry and Markle plan to return to the UK with their children — Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet — at the end of the month for an “extended period.”Zak Hussein / BACKGRID
The timing of the Montecito staffing allegations is notable because they emerge just as Harry and Meghan prepare for another major transition.
Their return to Harry’s home country comes six years after the couple’s dramatic departure from royal life, which caused quite the fuss and became widely known as “Megxit.”RT Youth Power Fund
For six years, California represented the center of the independent life they created after leaving frontline royal duties. Now, as the family prepares to spend significantly more time in Britain, accounts from former staff circles and some Montecito residents are once again putting scrutiny on how the Sussexes interacted with people around them.
The most striking new allegation is not simply that Meghan allegedly had difficulty hiring housekeepers, but that an unnamed source claims her reputation spread sufficiently among local domestic workers to discourage prospective employees.
For now, that account remains an allegation rather than an established finding. Meghan has denied previous accusations concerning her treatment of royal staff, and neither she nor Harry has publicly responded to Page Six’s latest claims.