In a new piece for The Times, writer Tom Quinn, promoting his book Yes Ma'am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants, shared insider stories about the British Royal Family from former and current staff.
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As they were promised their names would not be leaked, some of them agreed to spill the tea. From the senior members' common trait to Prince William and Kate Middleton's first impression of Meghan Markle, here are some of the most interesting tidbits he shared.
Royal staff reveal what most senior members have got in common
In Tom Quinn's new book, current and former staff members of the Firm revealed one trait that many senior royals seem to have in common, including King Charles, Princes William, Harry, Andrew, and Edward, and it's not a very flattering one.
Indeed, according to them, they are 'prone to throwing tantrums if things are not done to their liking'. A former member told an anecdote concerning Prince Harry:
I remember once in his private apartments I'd muddled something — some of his papers on the desk or something. He was immediately angry and it was out of proportion to the problem, or at least I thought it was.
Prince Harry is not the only one targeted by the former staff members. Indeed, Prince Andrew is also known for his demands. He reportedly had a staff member transferred because he simply disliked a mole on the man's face. He is also rumoured to have had another man moved to other duties because he wore a nylon tie.
A source also said of King Charles and Prince William:
They both get irritated very quickly. They are very picky. It comes naturally to them.
Surprisingly, Prince Edward has also been thrown into the mix and is believed to have told his driver off for looking into his rearview mirror too often.
Royal staff also divulged what Prince William and Kate thought of Meghan Markle, when they first met her.
Prince William and Princess Kate initially liked Meghan Markle
According to a former member of the royal staff, the couple first believed she would be 'a breath of fresh air'.
Some royal staff also believed Meghan Markle would have a positive influence on Prince Harry, as a former member of the staff at Kensington Palace told Tom Quinn:
I can tell you that if William had wanted to marry Meghan Markle, it would’ve been a step too far. But Harry was never going to be king. The courtiers and ladies-in-waiting and communications teams thought Meghan would keep Harry out of trouble, give him something to focus on.
That wasn't the only revelation they shared about Meghan Markle.
Meghan Markle's super-friendliness led to vicious rumours
According to a former staff member at Kensington Palace, Meghan Markle sparked a friendship with a junior member of the staff. What started out as an innocent friendship quickly turned sour as senior members deemed their bond 'inappropriate'. They told the Times:
When someone arrives from the United States and tries to change things, the old guard really don’t like it. And the old guard are terrific snobs. They have to be less obviously snobbish today, but it’s still there.
This is not the only time Meghan Markle's friendliness landed her in troubled waters. Indeed, she was once pictured giving Prince William a kiss on the cheek. This simple familiar gesture was quickly interpreted as 'flirting' by staff members, which caused huge controversy at the time. Sources told Tom Quinn that the Duchess' warmth unnerved senior members of the Firm, as they could visibly flinch when she embraced them. They told the Times:
The hugging and cheek-kissing fuelled gossip among the staff that Meghan was flirting with William, which she was obviously not, but the tense atmosphere caused by all the touchy-feeliness (and the resultant gossip) deepened the rift between the brothers.
The odd one out, Meghan's open demeanor and very 'American' personality traits left palace staff divided—with some appreciating the change, and others more resistant.
Royal staff were divided over what to think of Meghan Markle
When she first joined the Royal Family, Meghan Markle was left feeling a bit overwhelmed, as she had very different expectations. It seemed the Duchess was widely unprepared to take on her role as Prince Harry's wife, which led to some difficulty with her staff. According to Tom Quinn, Prince Harry 'had spent little time explaining exactly how strange and demanding his family really are'. A source told Tom Quinn:
Through absolutely no fault of her own, Meghan wasn't always great with her staff — she just wasn't used to it as Harry was. So, one minute she would be really friendly, perhaps overfriendly, hugging staff and trying to make friends with them, and the next she would be irritated by the fact they wouldn’t respond instantly at all times of the day and night.
According to Tom Quinn and his anonymous sources, Meghan Markle was first looked down on when she joined the Firm. However, she did not let that stop her, and fought her way through this hard time. He explained:
Some people can cope with this — Kate Middleton is perhaps the supreme example — but others try to fight back, which is what Meghan clearly did.
Another former member of the staff also labelled the Duchess as a 'fighter' for not giving up. They said:
You've got to hand it to her. She really is a fighter.
Another anonymous source added that Meghan Markle eventually gained respect as she stood her ground, despite senior staff members talking behind her back. However, this was a losing game from the beginning, through no fault of her own. They explained:
They really had it in for Meghan and, to be fair to her, she really stood up to them. But, of course, if you make waves in the royal family, the senior royals will always back the courtiers, because in many cases the senior royals have been friends with the courtiers since childhood.
Indeed life within the palace walls is not easy for those who grew up in it, let alone anyone coming from the outsider. Any peculiar characteristics can quickly earn you nicknames, as has often been revealed, coined by royal staff and members of the family themselves.
Members of the Firm each have got their own nicknames
In his new book, Tom Quinn also delves into the Firm's senior members' nicknames. Indeed, they have each got their own. For example, when Prince William and Prince Harry still got along, the two brothers used to refer to their father's new wife, now Queen Camilla, as Cruella De Vil, Lady Macbeth, and the Witch of the West, all references to popular villains. Camilla is not the only one who has suffered from demeaning nicknames in the heart of the Royal Family.
Indeed, when Meghan Markle first moved in with her Prince Charming, she was labelled as 'difficult' by the staff. However, she also gained some kinder and funnier nicknames over time. A former staff member told the Times:
It's true that her nickname for a while was the Duchess of Difficult, but she had other, friendlier nicknames, including Mystic Meg, which came about because she was so new agey, so woke, about so many things.
You can read all of the insights Tom Quinn shared here.
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Sources used:
The Times: William, Andrew, Kate and Meghan: what the palace staff saw
The Sun: MADE HER MARK Meghan’s close ‘friendship’ with junior staff branded ‘inappropriate’ after pair became ‘friendly’, insiders claim
Hello! Canada: Meghan Markle labelled a 'fighter' in shocking new royal book that criticises senior royals
