The Duchess of Sussex was handed a nickname by members of staff who reportedly found Meghan Markle difficult to work for.

Meghan Markle was branded a harsh nickname by staff members (Image: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Meghan Markle was handed a harsh nickname by palace staff when she was a working member of the Royal Family.

Before quitting the Royal Firm with her husband Prince Harry in 2020, Meghan was referred to by some of her former staff as “Duchess Difficult”.

The Hollywood Reporter claimed that one source said people were “terrified” of the Duchess of Sussex, which was part of the reason behind her nickname.

The source close to the couple said: “Everyone’s terrified of Meghan.

“She belittles people, she doesn’t take advice. They’re both poor decision-makers, they change their minds frequently. Harry is a very, very charming person — no airs at all — but he’s very much an enabler. And she’s just terrible.”

One source went on to explain why Meghan was branded “Duchess Difficult” when she was part of the Royal Family.

The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the source said: “She’s absolutely relentless.

“She marches around like a dictator in high heels, fuming and barking orders. I’ve watched her reduce grown men to tears.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are said to be “deeply concerned” about the timing of the Hollywood Reporter article.

A source close to the couple told the Sunday Express newspaper: “The Sussex team have had more than enough of these types of articles, it’s simply not true.

The couple have had a number of staff members over the years (Image: Juancho Torres/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“Everyone is deeply concerned over the timing of the article because it was published just days before Harry’s birthday.

“There are fears that there could be a disgruntled former member of staff who is putting out mistruths which are designed to make them look bad.”

They added: “The focus for Camp Sussex now is to build on the success of the last year and to take that positive momentum forward into 2025 and beyond.”

The news of the nicknames came afterJosh Kettler, the Santa Barbara-based consultant who’d been serving as chief of staff to the Duke and Duchess, reportedly resigned in August after just three months of working for the couple.

Meghan Markle is said to ‘bring gown men to tears’ (Image: Getty)

This comes after a string of previous resignations from staff of the couple including Toya Holness, who was their global press secretary until 2022, and Christine Weil Schirmer, the onetime Pinterest communications director who quit as Harry and Meghan’s PR head in 2021.

The couple are now believed to have a very small team in California working for them.

The pair, who are have not been working members of the Royal Family for four years, are now based in Montecito where they live in a £11m mansion with their two children Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3.