Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Staff Felt They ‘Were Played’ Because Meghan Had an Agenda, Author Says

In his new book, author Valentine Low shed light on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s staff and their experience working for the Sussexes. According to Low, the staff felt they “were played” since Meghan “had an agenda” to leave the royal family.

Author says Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s staff felt like they ‘were played’

During an Oct. 10 interview with Palace Confidential, Low, author of Courtiers: the Hidden Power Behind the Crown, shared how the palace staff tried to make things work for Harry and Meghan, but believed they were “played.”

“[Royal staff] would say ‘We were played,’” Low explained. “They felt that [Meghan] always had an agenda to get out. Even before [their announcement to step down].”

The author added, “[Staff] had been devoted, they had really tried hard to make it work,” he added. “But they had a rough time and they felt treated badly.”

Palace failed to help Harry and Meghan during their first year of marriage, author says

Low also shared how the palace didn’t help Harry and Meghan when they were unhappy during their first year of marriage.

“Where the institution went wrong is that, in about the first year or so of their marriage and in particular between January 2019 and about late summer-early autumn of that year, that was the period when Meghan and Harry — in particular Meghan — was deeply unhappy and they were obviously frustrated,” he explained.

Low continued, “And no one had a big meeting in which they sat down and said, ‘Listen, this is going wrong, let’s talk about this, let’s work out how we can solve it.’ And they didn’t do that until it was too late. I think that was a failure on their part.”

The author added, “Yeah, Harry and Meghan could be difficult — I don’t think there’s any denying that but I don’t think the palace rose to the occasion either.”

Expert believes Harry and Meghan’s exit may have been more amicable if they were better supported

During an Oct. 5 interview with Good Morning Britain, Low looked at how some additional support may have gone a long way for the Sussexes.

“I think with Harry and Meghan, [the courtiers are] not really to blame because they tried really hard to help Meghan, right from the beginning,” Low explained. According to the author, there were two people “who made a lot of effort to try and accommodate them.”

He noted, “But there is a way in which the courtiers are to blame. So the people immediately around them were doing their best — these were people who could have believed in Harry and Meghan and they wanted to help.”

According to Low, the couple exhibited “signs early on” that indicated they were “unhappy.” He added, “No one really did anything about that. No one picked it up, no one flagged it up, no big discussions with the most senior courtiers in the institution.”

Even though the Sussexes likely would have still stepped back from their royal duties, Low said the support could have had a more positive impact.

“I don’t think it would have made any difference in the sense that I think they still would have left because what Harry and Meghan wanted and what the royal family, what the queen felt able to give, I don’t think there was ever a meeting point,” he said. “But, the big thing is it could have been done so much more amicably.”