According to a royal author, Queen Elizabeth II is said to have personally intervened to scold Meghan Markle after the Duchess of Sussex was allegedly “very rude” to a royal gardener at Windsor Castle.
The reported incident is believed to have taken place while Meghan and Prince Harry were living at Frogmore Cottage, not long after their wedding in 2018.
Queen Elizabeth II ‘told off’ Meghan Markle for ‘being rude’ to royal gardener
Royal expert Hugo Vickers claimed Queen Elizabeth once scolded Meghan Markle for being rude to a Windsor gardener. The head gardener reportedly told the Queen about Meghan’s behavior, and she didn’t tolerate staff being mistreated. This adds to past claims about Meghan’s strained relationship with royal staff during her time as a working royal.
There was a time when she was very rude to one of the under gardeners at Windsor.
In 2020, she and Prince Harry stepped away from their royal duties and moved to California.
Meghan has denied claims of bullying, though some sources have reportedly continued to raise concerns about her leadership approach.
A source told The Sunday Times last year: “I witnessed people being chewed up in person and over the phone and made to feel like [bleep].”
The duchess has firmly rejected these characterizations.
Through a spokesperson, Meghan previously referred to the allegations as part of a “calculated smear campaign” intended to undermine her ahead of the explosive interview she and Prince Harry gave to Oprah Winfrey in 2021.
Meghan Markle ‘bullying’ accusations
Despite criticism, Meghan has received support from former royal staff. In Tom Quinn’s 2025 book Yes Ma’am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants, some aides described her as someone who resisted the pressures of royal life—unlike Kate, who adapted quietly. One ex-staffer said, “You’ve got to hand it to her. She really is a fighter.”
The late Queen Elizabeth was known for expecting kindness toward palace staff and settling disputes calmly but firmly. While reports of a private reprimand haven’t been confirmed, they align with her discreet yet decisive style.
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