While the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, are often seen in the public eye, behind the scenes, they have employed a team of staff to help manage their royal image and day-to-day affairs.

However, the couple has faced ongoing challenges with high staff turnover, leading to whispers of a ‘Sussex Survivors Club.’ This group is reportedly made up of ex-employees who, after experiencing the intense pressure and demands of working for the Sussexes, have struggled to cope and moved on.

According to Daily Mail Royal Editor Rebecca English, the ‘Sussex Survivors Club’ consists of disgruntled former staff members who allegedly worked for the couple and “lived to tell the tale.”

Some of these ex-employees, including Melissa Touabti, reportedly developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of the stressful work environment.

Touabti, a former assistant to Harry and Meghan, had previously worked for pop star Robbie Williams and his wife Ayda Field. She played a pivotal role in the success of the royal wedding in May 2018. However, her time working for Meghan was marked by one highly publicized incident.

Royal biographer Robert Lacey, in his book Battle of Brothers, recounts an episode where Meghan allegedly became enraged when the red blankets she had ordered for a Sandringham shooting party were not the right shade of red. According to Lacey, this caused Meghan to “go mental” at Touabti, resulting in the assistant’s resignation just six months later.

While Lacey’s account paints a picture of a toxic working environment, Finding Freedom authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand offer a different perspective. They claim that Harry and Meghan were dissatisfied with Touabti’s work and that they were not disappointed when she left. However, they did misspell her name as “Toubati” in their manuscript.

In the lead-up to their royal wedding, Prince Harry reportedly insisted that Meghan have a dedicated team to guide her through the intricacies of royal life. This team included Amy Pickerill, Meghan’s private secretary; Heather Wong, who had worked for the Obama administration; Edward Lane Fox, Harry’s private secretary; and Jason Knauf, a PR professional from the Royal Bank of Scotland.

By the end of 2019, Meghan and Harry’s entire core team had stepped down—including longtime aides like Amy Pickerill, Heather Wong, Edward Lane Fox, and Jason Knauf. Some left quietly; others, like Knauf, raised concerns. In a formal HR complaint, he alleged Meghan had bullied two PAs out of the household within a year.

The steady stream of departures and internal complaints painted a troubling picture of life behind palace doors—one marked by pressure, tension, and staff who struggled to keep up.

Do you think the staff turnover says more about the Sussexes, or about the pressure of royal life itself?