Meghan Markle Faces Fresh Montecito Staffing Claims as Insider Alleges Housekeepers Were Reluctant to Work for Sussexes

Meghan Markle is facing a new round of scrutiny over life behind the gates of her Montecito home, with a source claiming the Duchess of Sussex struggled to hire household staff because of her alleged reputation among local housekeepers.

According to Page Six, some domestic workers in the affluent California community were reportedly reluctant to take jobs at the Sussexes’ home after stories began circulating about Meghan’s manner during interviews.

The claims arrive at a particularly sensitive moment for Meghan and Prince Harry, who are preparing to return to the UK with Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, for an extended period after six years based in California.

Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not respond to Page Six’s request for comment.

Source claims Meghan personally interviewed housekeepers

One insider alleged that Meghan took an active role in interviewing potential staff for the family’s Montecito property.

However, the source claimed those meetings did not always go smoothly.

“She had trouble hiring maids because a lot of the housekeepers in Montecito didn’t want to work for them,” the insider told Page Six.

The source further alleged that Meghan could come across as “really snobbish and rude” during interviews, claiming some candidates were offended enough that stories about the encounters began spreading among local domestic workers.

According to the insider, the situation eventually became something of a joke within parts of the Montecito community, with people allegedly saying that local housekeepers did not want to work for the Sussexes.

These remain allegations from an unnamed source and have not been independently confirmed.

The claims revive an old controversy

The latest story inevitably brings renewed attention to previous questions surrounding Harry and Meghan’s staffing history.

In June 2025, Page Six reported that four members of the Sussexes’ wider team had departed.

Among them were Los Angeles-based deputy press secretary Kyle Boulia and UK press officer Charlie Gipson, who left after Harry and Meghan brought in new advisers.

Two members of their private team were also reported to have exited around the same period.

Staff turnover alone does not establish mistreatment, but the departures attracted attention because they followed years of scrutiny over the couple’s working relationships.

During Meghan’s time as a working member of the Royal Family, former palace employees accused her of bullying staff.

Buckingham Palace later launched a review into the allegations, though its findings were never publicly released.

Meghan strongly denied the accusations and previously characterized the allegations against her as part of a smear campaign.

Montecito has not always embraced the Sussex spotlight

The new staffing claims come shortly after another report suggested that some Montecito residents are pleased Harry and Meghan are preparing to spend significantly more time in Britain.

The couple have lived in the exclusive Santa Barbara County community since 2020 after stepping down as senior working royals.

Their arrival immediately brought enormous international attention to an area already known for wealthy and famous residents.

One local previously told Page Six that some residents had been concerned from the beginning about the amount of publicity surrounding the Sussexes and the Royal Family.

The resident said Harry and Meghan’s profile created a different level of media attention in a community known for privacy and relative calm.

Now, with the family preparing to relocate to Britain for an extended period, the source claimed some residents are looking forward to Montecito becoming quieter.

The insider was careful to clarify that those opinions represented only themselves and people they had spoken with rather than the entire community.

Harry and Meghan are not completely leaving California behind

Despite their forthcoming return to Britain, the Sussexes are not expected to abandon their California life altogether.

Harry and Meghan are understood to be keeping their Montecito property while establishing a new base in the UK.

Their move is therefore better understood as a significant shift in where the family will spend its time rather than a permanent severing of ties with California.

Archie and Lilibet are expected to attend school in Britain, making the family’s return particularly consequential.

Harry and Meghan are also expected to continue their commercial projects while remaining private individuals and non-working members of the Royal Family.

There is no suggestion that their move will restore the official royal roles they left behind in 2020.

A difficult final chapter in Montecito?

The timing of the housekeeper allegations adds another uncomfortable element to the Sussexes’ final weeks before their UK return.

For years, Montecito represented the opposite of the life Harry and Meghan had left behind in Britain: privacy, independence and distance from the royal institution.

But the latest reports paint a more complicated picture of their relationship with the community.

Some neighbors have reportedly complained about the attention generated by the couple, while an unnamed source now claims Meghan developed a difficult reputation among some local household workers.

Again, those claims remain unverified, and Meghan has not publicly responded to the specific allegations.

What is clear is that the Sussexes are approaching another major transition.

Six years after California became the symbol of their post-royal independence, Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet are preparing to build a substantial life in Britain again.

And as that move approaches, stories emerging from Montecito suggest their departure may be accompanied by far more scrutiny than a simple change of address.