Kate Middleton reportedly severed ties with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle over their alleged treatment of royal staff. Royal author Russell Myers, who penned the 2026 biography William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, initially viewed the tensions between the brothers as the kind of rivalry one often witnesses between siblings. However, the real reason was Markle’s alleged rude behavior with the staff.
Kate Middleton’s ‘deal-breaker’ with Sussexes revealed by author
Kate Middleton reportedly broke ties with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle over their alleged mistreatment of palace staff. Author Russell Myers revealed that the Princess of Wales initially viewed the strained relations between William and Harry as a combination of “immaturity and stubbornness” on both sides. However, she allegedly realized that the problem lay with their alleged misbehaviour towards royal staff. Myers added, “Harry and Meghan’s attitude towards palace staff, who she and William cared about, set the couples on an entirely different course” (via Sky News).
In 2021, The Times reported that the Sussexes’ former communications secretary, Jason Knauf, lodged a formal complaint in October 2018. In the complaint, Knauf claimed that the former Suits star had bullied staff members. The complaint alleged that the Duchess of Sussex “was able to bully two PAs [personal assistants] out of the household in the past year.” Not only that, a third member was reportedly harassed as well, leaving the individual severely distressed.
Markle strongly denied the allegations at the time. Her representatives branded the allegations as a “calculated smear campaign.” Buckingham Palace launched an investigation into the allegations in 2021. However, the findings were never publicly released. In fact, Harry referenced the allegation in his 2023 memoir, Spare.
The Duke of Sussex detailed an alleged physical confrontation with William over his wife’s alleged mistreatment of royal staff. As per Myers, this was the last straw for Middleton, who became disinterested in fixing ties with Harry and Markle. Myers said, “Catherine had less interest than her husband in trying to persuade Harry to stay in his current role.”
The Sussexes eventually quit their royal roles and relocated to the U.S. in 2020.
Originally reported by Anwaya Mane on Mandatory.
