UNDER ATTACK
The usually stoic duchess is left reeling after she’s blasted as a social climber who’s abandoned her family
Just over a year ago, when Prince Harry and then-fiancée Meghan Markle gave their first joint interview, he confidently gushed about what a great addition she’d make to his family. He also told the BBC — with Meghan nodding in agreement beside him — that not only did he think she’d succeed at her new job as a working royal, but that “she’ll be able to deal with everything else that comes with it.” Neither Harry nor Meghan could have imagined what they’d be facing just a few months later. On top of ongoing drama with her estranged father, Thomas, and half sister, Samantha, the duchess has faced accusations of entitlement from palace courtiers and weathered rumors of a feud with sister-in-law Kate Middleton. Others at the palace have criticized Meghan’s intense work ethic and demands on her staff, leading the British media to brand her “Duchess Difficult.” But the most damning report came from an unfortunate but expected source: her family. A December Vanity Fair story that features interviews with members of the Markle family paints her as a calculating social climber — a sentiment shared by Kate, an insider has previously told Us — who’d rather chase fame than heal family wounds.
It’s the last thing Meghan needs.
“Meghan has so much on her plate, between being pregnant and dealing with the public backlash, and she’s finding the whole situation incredibly stressful,” says a royals insider.
SHE CAN’T WIN
The latest claims have been especially hurtful. According to one