Hilary Fordwich, a seasoned royal photographer with decades of experience observing the monarchy up close, pulled no punches in her recent remarks to Fox News Digital. According to Fordwich, the revolving door of staff surrounding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle serves as “undeniable confirmation” that the couple are, at best, “unmanageably high-maintenance and hypocritical.”
Her words carry particular sting given her proximity to the institution they once claimed to uphold—and later distanced themselves from. “They are the common denominator here in this dysfunctional situation,” Fordwich asserted, emphasizing that the constant staff exodus defies normal workplace patterns.
Fordwich pointed out that most professional environments experience turnover due to mergers, leadership changes, or organizational scandals—typically every three to five years. But in the case of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the churn appears far more extreme and chaotic.
“Such tumultuous turnovers signal either the principals are ghastly to work with and for, and/or the company is shrinking, or both,” she explained. The implication? That the Sussexes’ inner circle operates more like a “start-up in crisis mode” than a stable, principled operation aligned with their public messaging about compassion and mental health.
Perhaps most damning is Fordwich’s claim that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle continue to “hark back to their royal legacy of the ‘Sussex Survivors Club’”—a darkly ironic term reportedly coined by former Palace staff who worked under the couple. These ex-employees, she says, half-jokingly described suffering from a form of post-traumatic stress due to bullying allegations and toxic workplace conditions.
This narrative, Fordwich argues, contradicts the couple’s carefully curated image as advocates for workplace wellness and emotional transparency. “Calling themselves victims while allegedly subjecting staff to relentless pressure is the height of hypocrisy,” she stated.
The repeated use of terms like “dysfunctional,” “hypocrites,” and “slammed” underscores a widening gap between the Sussexes’ public persona and private reality. Critics argue that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle preach empathy while allegedly practicing control, demanding loyalty while showing little in return, and championing mental health while fostering environments that reportedly compromise it.
This isn’t the first time Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have faced backlash over their behavior, but Fordwich’s insider perspective lends new credibility to longstanding rumors. With each new allegation, the couple’s credibility—and their ability to sustain their post-royal brand—faces mounting pressure.
Are they misunderstood reformers, or—as more insiders suggest—dysfunctional leaders whose actions betray their words? As the world watches, the labels “hypocrites” and “dysfunctional” continue to echo louder than ever.
