Meghan Markle and Prince Harry left the royal family in 2020 over accusations that the royals and British press were giving Meghan a hard time. Some who worked for the palace beg to differ.

Meghan Markle’s reputation in the royal family didn’t pan out quite the way she’d hoped. The Duchess of Sussex began dating Prince Harry secretly back in 2016, and the two became engaged in 2017.

Harry and Meghan tied the knot less than a year later in 2018, but by then, things had already started to unravel. There were rumors that Prince William and Harry weren’t getting along and that Meghan and Kate Middleton were not becoming the best friends that people had wanted. And then, there were remarks made that Meghan wasn’t friendly to her staff.

Former aide calls Meghan Markle ‘basically unhinged’

Meghan’s work ethic was questioned during her time in the royal family, but some people attributed it to the differences between Americans and Brits when it comes to getting work done. Still, Harry and Meghan were rotating through staff quickly, and it wasn’t a great look for the couple. Eventually, Meghan even battled bullying accusations from former team members. But one person who briefly worked with the duchess had two harsh words to describe her: “basically unhinged.”

According to Express, in the book “Battle of the Brothers” by royal author Robert Lacey, a former royal aide for Kensington Palace allegedly described Meghan using the difficult two-word attack; the aide was referring to Meghan when she first joined the royal family. “Meghan portrayed herself as the victim, but she was the bully. People felt run over by her,” the aide supposedly said as well.

Of course, all anonymous sources’ and staffers’ words should be taken with a grain of salt. There are two sides to every story, and Showbiz Cheat Sheet could not independently confirm that these a royal aide truly said this.

Meghan Markle has struggled to rebuild her reputation since her royal exit

When it comes to celebrities, there are plenty of people who love them and plenty of people who don’t. Meghan is no exception. There are some who have been rooting for the duchess since day one, and there are some who want to watch her falter. Regardless of how anyone feels, the press surrounding Meghan has made it difficult for her to rebuild her reputation since leaving the royal family alongside Harry in 2020.

Harry and Meghan are parents and philanthropists, which on the surface is wonderful. But rumors about the couple’s attitudes and actions have followed them around for years, making it hard for them to get on the public’s good side. There recent tour in Colombia might ultimately have helped with that, but it’s hard to say if it was enough.