MEGHAN Markle’s bullying accusations “are not surprising” and you could see her “narcissism” during the Oprah Winfrey interview, a royal expert has declared.
The Duchess of Sussex was last night accused by former employees of treating staff like “s***” while a member of the Royal Family.
An ex-courtier alleged that during their time with her “there definitely were bad, very bad, even psycho moments.”
The unnamed source told The Sunday Times: “I witnessed people being chewed up in person and over the phone and made to feel like s***.
“It was an incredibly fraught time and I’m inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt. She has said herself she was suicidal at times.”
Reacting to the allegations, celebrated historian Hugo Vickers told The Sun he “wasn’t surprised”.
He said: “Well I’m afraid I’m not surprised by these allegations because even when she was at Windsor I remember hearing from very good sources that there was trouble.
“There was a time when she was very rude to one of the under gardeners at Windsor when they were at Frogmore Cottage.
“The head gardener went to complain to the Queen and she told her off because she obviously didn’t like people being rude to staff.
“None of these other stories surprised me. She probably is not very good with staff or people that she’s employing. It’s just very unattractive.
“You should always be very polite to people who work for you because otherwise they’re going to get very put out.”
Another individual, who worked with Meghan in the run-up to her wedding, said she was a “classic narcissist”.
They added: “She is lovely when it is all going her way but a demon when the worm turns.”
The royal expert continued: “I think quite a lot of actresses have a narcissistic side to them.
“Of course it can be very stressful leading up to a wedding. But once again this is when your true character comes out.
“We can all be very polite when things are going well. It’s when we’re under stress that that you see people getting annoyed and aggressive.
BY Matt Wilkinson
A STAFFER working “high up” for the Sussexes was the source behind the shock claim that “everyone is terrified” of Meghan, it has emerged.
The allegations were made in The Hollywood Reporter that also said Meg is branded by staff as “Duchess Difficult” and a “dictator in high heels”.
It comes after a string of aides left Archewell including Chief of Staff Josh Kettler who stepped down after just three months.
Sources close to Meghan and Harry claim the comments reported by the Hollywood Reporter were “fabricated”.
But Maer Roshan, Co-Editor in Chief of the magazine, said: “Our reporter talked to I think a dozen people, most of them are people who work very closely with the couple in various capacities now and previously.
He added: “Our reporter talked to a very high up source who works for the couple who said: ‘Everyone is terrified of Meghan Markle’.”
The revelation that a source from within the Sussexes organisation and Archewell will stun Harry and Meghan.
An astonishing 18 members of staff have quit working for the couple – nine since they moved to California.
Many ex-palace staff coined the term ‘Sussex Survivors’ Club’ to describe themselves after they quit working for Harry and Meghan.
Some even, half-jokingly, believed they suffered a form of post-traumatic stress after working for the royal couple.
Sources close to the Sussexes insist the term “Duchess Difficult” has never been used to describe Meghan.
A source from Archewell, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “These quotes were fabricated by someone lacking knowledge of our company.
“The Duke and Duchess work from Montecito, and we’re based in Hollywood.
“They likely think we’re all in the same office and that this quote would fly, but the circumstances don’t even allow for it.
“If she’s ‘marching around’ and ‘barking orders’ no Archewell employee could factually claim that. It’s total nonsense.”
The publication also reported allegations that Meghan was “absolutely relentless” and that “she marches around like a dictator in high heels, fuming and barking orders”.
Meghan’s “noisy tantrums” and “angry 5am emails” are said to be what earned her the nickname.
Regarding emails, a source said: “Who hasn’t sent an email when they can’t sleep or are awake early?
“I’ve never once ever gotten an email from either of them at that hour and even if I did, The Duchess specifically notes in her email signature that everyone has a different working day and to not feel obligated to respond outside of normal business hours.
“These source quotes don’t make any sense.”
The latest shock claims come some six years after Buckingham Palace was forced to investigate Meghan for “bullying behaviour” towards to royal aides.
Meghan has always denied claims that she bullies staff.
“She has shown quite a few narcissistic tendencies in the past particularly in things like the Oprah Winfrey interview.
“I think there was a lot of narcissism in that.”
During the March 2021 interview, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made a series of shocking allegations.
The pair sparked a race row by alleging an unnamed member of the Royal Family spoke about “how dark his (Archie‘s) skin might be when he’s born”.
During the Oprah interview, Meghan also said she was prevented from seeking mental health support when she was in crisis.
It’s understood the Royal Family were left deeply upset by the allegations made.
The Sun has approached the Sussexes for comment.
It comes after a recent story in The Hollywood Reporter described Meghan’s management style as like a “dictator in high heels” who reduced “grown men to tears”.
In an extraordinary move to undermine the story this week, five current and former employees of Meghan, 43, went on the record to defend her saying she is the “best boss ever”.
Us Weekly, a magazine known to be friendly to the royal couple, went in to bat for them with an article headlined “What It’s Really Like To Work For Meghan Markle: Staffers Reveal Truth Behind Rumours”.
The article quoted the former employees stating how, in fact, Meghan was a caring and considerate boss.
It included claims she gives staff bundles of freshly cut flowers, home-produced eggs and makes her team “feel like seeds being watered”.
The article was widely dismissed as a puff piece with speculation it was potentially orchestrated by Meghan’s PR team.
Meghan and Harry, 40, are understood to be furious about The Hollywood Reporter’s claims.
They are said to be desperate to stem the tide of negative publicity they are facing on the other side of the Atlantic.
In public the former Suits actress presents as happy and thoughtful.
But The Hollywood Reporter’s claims that she “barks” out orders and sends angry emails at 5am eats away at that image.
An insider told The Sun: “The Sussexes were left reeling by The Hollywood Reporter’s story.
“It appears that the Us Weekly story was sanctioned by the couple as even Archewell’s current global head of communications, Ashley Hansen, was quoted by name.”
By Robert Jobson
AN astonishing 18 members of staff have quit working for them in just a few years — nine since they moved to Montecito, California.
In late 2018, Meghan’s personal assistant Melissa Toubati quit.
It also emerged senior communications secretary Katrina McKeever left the Press team the same month.
Not long after, private secretary Samantha Cohen resigned.
In January 2019 Meghan’s female bodyguard of six months, who has never been named for security reasons, also quit.
By March, senior communications secretary Jason Knauf jumped ship and went to work for Prince William and Kate’s Royal Foundation.
Meghan also went through three nannies in just six weeks after baby son Archie was born in May 2019.
Harry and Meghan’s PR chief Sarah Latham left the couple after they quit the UK in 2020.
Meghan parted ways with talent agent Nick Collins, of The Gersh Agency, who was with her since she was a struggling actress.
And her close friend Keleigh Thomas-Morgan, a partner at Hollywood PR firm Sunshine Sachs, split from Meghan after the couple moved to the US.
The Sussexes recruited Toya Holness, former communications chief for New York City Department of Education, but she lasted 18 months and left shortly after the Invictus Games in 2022.
Just a year after their Megxit dash, Catherine St-Laurent was ousted as chief executive of their charitable foundation Archewell.
Meanwhile, Mandana Dayani, who was made president of Archewell, stepped down after less than 18 months in her role.
Oscar-nominated film producer Ben Browning was named head of content at Archewell in March 2021.
The foundation was supposed to be producing documentaries and podcasts.
But podcast Archetypes was dropped by Spotify and he left in January 2023.
Two months earlier, Rebecca Sanares left her role as head of audio at Archewell.
STRICTLY fans have shared their shock after learning who has been booted out of the show after the results were leaked online.
The bumper show ran for more than two hours and was packed with glitz, glam, fancy footwork and a real mix of criticism and praise from the judges.
The first elimination will air in tonight’s results show, but a notorious mole has once again spoiled the result.
The Sun has chosen not to reveal the celebrity who was booted off, but those who have seen the name are stunned by who ended up in the dance off.
One viewer fumed: “How can they save who they saved, seriously?!”
A second retweeted the spoiler results on their X account and wrote: “Give over… This makes me so sad.”
A third posted: “Sorry but what that Strictly spoiler,” followed by sad emojis.
This person shared: “Me reading the #StrictlySpoiler and finding out who was eliminated. Kinda Shocked.”
While another added: “People who post spoilers of competitive TV shows #Strictly #StrictlyComeDancing are genuinely the worst
Like why???”
Love Island star Tasha Ghouri and her pro partner Aljaz Škorjanec have topped the leaderboard with a solid score of 65 – as last week’s scores were added to tonight’s.
Tasha’s dad was left in floods of tears as the pair broke the record for the highest scoring week 2 Viennese Waltz in Strictly’s history.
Meanwhile, there was a highly emotional moment for actor and singer Shayne Ward, who bravely addressed the ‘difficult week’ he’d had.
Shayne found himself falling victim to cruel trolls following his debut on the dance floor with Nancy Xu last week.
He admitted: “It’s been a very tough week. I just focus on the people that love me, that’s all that matters.”
Head judge Shirley Ballas had also hinted at the tough time Shayne had suffered behind the scenes.
“Well, head judge here and I also feel a little bit like Mother Hen,” she told him following his Tango with Nancy.
“I’ve seen the way the week’s gone for you and it hasn’t been the most pleasant by any shape or form.
“But I want you to keep your confidence because you are a great dancer, you concentrate hard, you are willing to learn and I know how nervous you get backstage.
“You’re just a wonderful, wonderful hard worker.”
While Tasha and Aljaz topped the leaderboard, Miranda star Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola finished in second place with 62.
80s punk icon Toyah Willcox landed at the bottom with Neil Jones, scoring a total combined score of 30.
Strictly will be back for the first results show of the series on Sunday night.
Judges Shirley, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke will also be performing alongside the pros.
RETIRING early might sound like an impossible goal, but anyone can manage it if they know the tips and tricks to saving at the right time and in the right way.
The good news is that even small changes can make massive difference to how much you have saved and when you can afford to stop work.
A new movement, known as the FIRE movement (financial independence, retire early) are looking to retire as soon as possible.
But you don’t need to be this extreme – there are realistic ways to retire early without working too hard.
The earlier you start making small changes, though, the easier it is, and if you leave retirement saving too late, you might actually have to retire later than you’d prefer.
We spoke to Robert Cochran, a pensions expert at Scottish Widows, to uncover the secret to retiring early and comfortably.
You can watch the video above to hear more about his top tips.
Cochran’s first tip is to get saving as soon as possible. There are two reasons for this, the first is straightforward – starting earlier means more savings.
For instance, if you saved £100 a month into your pension from aged 16, you’d have £46,800 by the time you were 55, without any investment growth, employer contributions, or tax relief.
But, if you started at 40, you’d only have £22,500.
The more important consideration is investment growth, which compounds over time. Essentially this means that the returns you earn on your pensions are reinvested, which, so the money grows exponentially.
Cochran explained: “Einstein said that compound interest was the eighth wonder of the world, these who know it will grow it, and those who don’t will pay it.”
For instance, if you pay a thousand pounds into a pension, and it earns 5%, in the first year you would get £50 added, in the second you’d have £1,050 invested and get £52.50 back.
The year after that you would get £55.13 added, and by year 10 you’d be getting £77.57 in interest – all without saving any extra money.
If you keep adding to the pension each year, the results are even more stark. For instance, if you saved £1,000 a year into a pension with growth of 5%, from age 18-55, you’d have £107,709.55 to retire on.
Of that, £69,709.55 would be interest paid, which is essentially free money that you’ve earned on your savings.
If you were paying minimum auto-enrolment levels on the average UK full time salary, which works out as around £2,797 a year, you’d have £301,263.60 to retire on aged 55. But if you didn’t start saving till you were 30, you’d have just £142,964.33.
Parents are allowed to open Junior SIPPs for their children, which is a way of saving money for their retirement.
You’re allowed to save up to £3,600 a year, 20% of which comes in the form of tax relief from the Government. That means you can save £240 a month before tax relief.
If you do this from birth until they are 18, you’ll have over £64,800 saved for them.
Even if they never pay another penny in themselves, they’d have £394,075.17 by age 55, with returns of 5%. If they wait until they’re 60 to access the cash, they could have half a million pounds to retire on.
Cochran said: “You can actually pay contributions in for children. So, imagine somebody’s born and then you pay in contributions for them till they’re age 18… and then you leave that money to grow by the time they’re 60.
“That money could be worth £1 million. And that’s purely through compound and growth.”
Cochran’s third tip is to make sure that you’re never missing out on free money that’s available.
The first thing to consider is auto-enrolment. Most people aged between 22 and 64 who are employed are auto-enrolled into a pension.
The minimum auto-enrolment level is 8% of your qualifying earnings, which is made up of a mix of money deducted from your salary, tax relief, and contributions from your employer.
It is possible to opt-out of auto-enrolment, but not only does that mean you won’t be saving, you’ll also miss out on the contributions from your workplace. That means you’re giving up free money from your boss, and you’ll lose the tax relief too.
Even if you’re not eligible for auto-enrolment, for instance if you’re under 22, or earn less than £10,000 a year from a single employer, you might be able to opt in.
For instance, if you earn more than £6,240, you can choose to join the scheme and your employer will still have to pay contributions.
Another key thing to look out for is matching, which is when your employer says it will pay more money into the scheme if you do, up to a maximum.
Cochran explained: “Go back to your employer and find out the maximum contribution you’re entitled to get from them.
“If you’re not receiving it, go ahead and ask for it. It might mean that you have to pay a little bit more, but do not leave cash on the table.”
The Pension Policy Institute says that there is £26.6billion in lost pensions money.
Typically, this is where people have saved into a scheme but then moved job or house and forgotten about the pot.
Cochran said: “Use the Government’s free pension tracing service and find out what you’ve got.”
To get started, gather all the pensions paperwork you do have, and make a list of every employer you’ve worked for or private pension you’ve opened.
The tracing service will tell you who ran the scheme at the time, and how to contact them. Then, you can get in touch and check whether they have any retirement savings in your name.
The fifth thing to do if you want to retire early is make a concrete plan.
Cochran said: “You need to know what you’re going to be doing in retirement… so, look towards your future. Use the tools and calculators that are there to help you.”
We’ve done a round up of some of the most useful tools out there, which can help you work out what you’re on track to have saved, and what you can do to improve your retirement prospects.
Start by working out how much you need to have squirrelled away, and don’t be scared by illustrative examples.
For instance, the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) retirement living standards research says that a single person who wants a comfortable retirement will need £43,100 a year to live on.
But of course, this is higher than the average UK salary, and there are lots of people who live comfortably on much less.
The amount you need will be determined by how early you want to retire, your life expectancy, your salary and typical monthly expenditure, and whether you own your home or not.
If you’re over 50, you can book a free and impartial session with a Pension Wise adviser who can share important information and make sure you understand all the facts before you decide to retire.
WE round-up the main types of pension and how they differ:
EVERYONE loves a bargain, and none more so than me.
As editor of The Sun’s daily Savers, I spend hours every week scouring for the best discounts, dupes and deals across the shops we know and love.
Heading into autumn, shops are filled with new seasonal items in a bid to tempt customers to part with their hard-earned cash.
Not everything you see is actually a great deal – but there are plenty of affordable bargains to be had.
Here are some of the best deals that I have seen…
If you want to add a touch of autumnal style to your home, the shops are filled with decor that won’t break the budget.
Plush pumpkins look great nestled among cushions on the sofa, or you could use a few to make a display.
You can get these novelty items in a variety of colours, sizes and materials from Hobbycraft, with prices starting from £1.
Door wreaths are not just for Christmas, etiher – a seasonal garland is the perfect way to embrace the changing leaves and darker nights.
You can get an autumn leaf wreath for as low as £4 from Poundland or £7 from Flying Tiger. These will last year after year so are a worthwhile long-term investment.
Falling temperatures mean now is the time to get cosy. To avoid switching on the heating too early, I have already been snuggling in my wearable blanket while watching TV in the evenings.
You can pick up one from just £5 from Online Home Shop.
I also have switched my bedding to fleece-lined sheets to feel extra toasty – these start from £6 at Online Home Shop.
You can’t go wrong with a pair of satin pjs for a little luxury at bedtime, either. Primark’s sets are £22 – and would also make a great Christmas pressie.
I’m also in love with Dunelm’s range of super cute warmies – including Sam the sausage dog and Reggie the cockapoo, £7 each.
With the darker evenings, I have been lighting candles to create a feeling of warmth at home too.
Small scented jar candles are just £1.80 at Primark with a few different scents to choose from – try black vanilla, my personal fave.
Or you can give your home a lovely autumnal scent with the pumpkin pie candle, which is £5 from B&M.
I’m a real sucker for chocolate. Lindt Lindor has just launched some divine new flavours including pistachio and dark mint.
These make the perfect Christmas gift and 200g packs are currently on offer at Tesco for £4.50 with a Clubcard, down from the usual price of £6.30 – so stock up while you can!
If you’re heading to Tesco, you may also want to pick up Christmas tubs of Celebrations or Heroes – £4.50 with a Clubcard at the moment.
These prices have been creeping up over the past few years, so it’s always worth getting them on offer if you can.
What is autumn without a seasonal drink? Of course, you can head to Starbucks or Costa for their autumn ranges, but why not try Greggs to save a few pennies instead? Its Pumpkin spice latte is priced from £2.50 and hits the spot in the same way.
At home, I brew up my own coffee which always tastes better out of a favourite mug.
I really like the homeware at Flying Tiger, and B&M also has a good range which is affordable and stylish.
If you fancy staying in to cook a meal, the Co-op’s new members Irresistible meal deal is great value.
Choose two mains, two sides and a bottle of wine from the range for £10.00, saving up to £10.95 on items bought individually.
SUN Savers Editor Lana Clements explains how to find a cut-price item and bag a bargain…
Sign up to loyalty schemes of the brands that you regularly shop with.
Big names regularly offer discounts or special lower prices for members, among other perks.
Sales are when you can pick up a real steal.
Retailers usually have periodic promotions that tie into payday at the end of the month or Bank Holiday weekends, so keep a lookout and shop when these deals are on.
Sign up to mailing lists and you’ll also be first to know of special offers. It can be worth following retailers on social media too.
When buying online, always do a search for money off codes or vouchers that you can use vouchercodes.co.uk and myvouchercodes.co.uk are just two sites that round up promotions by retailer.
Scanner apps are useful to have on your phone. Trolley.co.uk app has a scanner that you can use to compare prices on branded items when out shopping.
Bargain hunters can also use B&M’s scanner in the app to find discounts in-store before staff have marked them out.
And always check if you can get cashback before paying which in effect means you’ll get some of your money back or a discount on the item.
Millions of households could be in line for cost-of-living payments worth up to £3,225 this winter.
For those under financial pressure, several schemes offering support to help you get through the cold period.
With additional heating costs, not to mention Christmas expenses, the winter months can mean additional financial pressure.
For some this will be exacerbated by the government’s decision to limit the number of people who receive the £300 winter fuel payment from this year.
The support available includes the following…
The £150 warm home discount is available to pensioners and those on low incomes.
Those who qualify for the discount will have £150 deducted from their energy bills by the end of March 2025.
You’ll be eligible if you receive the guarantee credit element of Pension Credit, or are on a low income and have high energy costs.
The discount should be automatically deducted from your energy bill this winter if your eligible, but those on low-incomes living in Scotland need to apply through their energy providers.
If you were eligible for the payment last winter and did not receive it, contact your energy supplier.
If your energy supplier is unable to help write to the warm home discount scheme on 110552 Warm Home Discount Scheme,
PO Box 26965, Glasgow, G1 9BW.
This year winter fuel payments will only be made to retirees on Pension Credit and several other means-tested benefits.
Under the new rules, all households claiming the following benefits will automatically receive this year’s winter fuel payment, unless they live abroad:
Only those living abroad and meeting certain conditions must apply for the cash this winter.
If you do not live in the UK, you’re only eligible for the winter fuel payment if:
You only need to claim winter fuel payment if you’ve not received it since you moved abroad.
To claim by post, you’ll need to fill in the winter fuel payment claim form and post it to the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.
This will be available at www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/how-to-claim from September 30.
Cold weather payments are made to eligible residents in areas where the temperature is recorded at zero degrees Celsius or below, for seven consecutive days.
A £25 payment will be made for each seven day period of very cold weather between November 1 2024 and March 31 2025.
You may be eligible for the payments if you receive:
Payments are made automatically, so you do not need to apply for the benefit.
Those receiving benefits could be eligible for a £10 Christmas bonus.
The Department for Work and Pensions usually pays the bonus during the first full week of December.
If you receive any of the following benefits, the money will be paid automatically into your registered payment account.
The bonus isn’t available to those who receive Universal Credit only but someone on Universal Credit who also receives one of the qualifying benefits will receive it.
Struggling households can access a range of support to help with the cost of living via the Household Support Fund.
The fund has recently has been extended for the sixth time, with £421million set to be made available to regional councils to distribute from October 2024.
The support you can access depends on where you live, but funds can be paid out as shopping or fuel vouchers, cash payments or other means.
Under the previous round of funding households in Leicester could apply to receive £300 payments to help with utilities and essential costs.
In Plymouth eligible residents could receive a maximum of £740 in vouchers.
This included £240 in supermarket vouchers, £200 in energy vouchers as well as an essential item of household furniture or white goods or £300 of clothing vouchers.
Schemes vary across the country, but every council will receive funding to distribute.
To see what’s on offer where you live contact your local council.
Energy firms are handing out up to £2,000 to help those struggling with energy costs to cover bills.
A number of firms, including British Gas and Octopus Energy, are offering grants and other support.
They have different schemes and different criteria to access help, so you need to check what is offered through your provider.
But many will write off debts or offer grants for as much as £2,000.
If you’re not entitled to financial help this winter there are easy changes you can make to cut energy bills.
From reducing energy consumption to effectively heating your home The Sun’s guide can help you cut costs.
SWITCHING energy providers can sound like a hassle - but fortunately it's pretty straight forward to change supplier - and save lots of cash.
Shop around – If you’re on an SVT deal you are likely throwing away up to £250 a year. Use a comparion site such as MoneySuperMarket.com, uSwitch or EnergyHelpline.com to see what deals are available to you.
The cheapest deals are usually found online and are fixed deals – meaning you’ll pay a fixed amount usually for 12 months.
Switch – When you’ve found one, all you have to do is contact the new supplier.
It helps to have the following information – which you can find on your bill – to hand to give the new supplier.
It will then notify your current supplier and begin the switch.
It should take no longer than three weeks to complete the switch and your supply won’t be interrupted in that time.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories