Late last year, rumors started flying that Meghan Markle was a quote-unquote “difficult” duchess. Apparently, she’s been upsetting dozens of palace staff members by having the audacity to—gasp—send emails at 5:30 in the morning. This “up and at ’em West Coast energy,” as The Daily Mail put it in November, is reportedly rubbing some the wrong way—so much so, tabloids have coined the phrase “Hurricane Meghan.”
It’s obvious this narrative is a complete exaggeration. Royals expert Katie Nicholl confirmed as much to Glamour when she said, “Meghan brings a different regime to the palace. She does things differently. She’s a very intelligent, articulate, and driven woman. I think she works at a different speed than most people. She’s got an incredible work ethic. But I think it’s a case of her getting used to a new regime, and the new regime getting used to her. There’s nothing that can’t be ironed out.”
But nevertheless the “diva” rumors are persisting—and this latest one is particularly bizarre. According to The Sun, staff members at Frogmore Cottage, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s new home, have been “banned” from using the parking lot closest to the residence and instead must use the one a mile away.
Frogmore Cottage, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s new home.
Getty ImagesThe sources who spoke to The Sun seem to confirm a change in parking permits is happening, but here’s the kicker: It reportedly was the superintendent of the castle’s decision, not Markle’s. And yet all the tabloids reporting this story are making it seem like Markle woke up and randomly decreed, “You know what would be fun? Forcing all the staff members to walk a mile to work each day.” The headline in one article starts with “Not in Meg Back Yard,” which is apparently the acronym insiders are using to describe this change. That makes it sound like Markle is the one behind the choice.
Which is frustrating. This is a woman who bakes banana bread in her free time and says the word “wonderful” like a Disney princess. I find it hard to believe she’s changing the parking situation at Frogmore just because she and Prince Harry “don’t want to look out of their window and see cars coming and going,” as one source claims. Meghan Markle does yoga, for crying out loud. She’s calm. She’s zen. She’s doesn’t give a fuck if the chef’s 2007 Toyota Camry is parked outside her house. She’s too busy deciding which vegan paint color her new living room should be.
In all seriousness, there’s probably a perfectly logical reason why the parking at Frogmore Cottage is changing—and my guess is it has nothing to do with Markle being “difficult.” It’s ridiculous that ambitious and opinionated women are still getting strapped with that word in 2019. If this story is true, and the Frogmore staff does feel inconvenienced, I wouldn’t be surprised if Markle starts some kind of shuttle service to accommodate them. It’ll be a luxurious-as-hell service, too, with leather seats and TV screens playing old Suits episodes on a loop. Mark my words.
