There’s no doubt that this year is a crucial time for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as the pair scramble to transform their reputation both in the UK and Stateside with their upcoming, make-or-break projects.

But while Meghan, 43, is continuing her charm-offensive after the first batch of products for her lifestyle brand ‘As Ever’ sold out within an hour earlier this week, the couple were hit by yet another bombshell as Harry found himself at the centre of a shock bullying scandal.

The Duke of Sussex, 40, was forced to step down from his Sentebale charity last week after its chair, Dr Sophie Chandauka, accused him of ‘harassment and bullying at scale’ and claimed he wanted to ‘eject’ her.

And while a source close to the former trustees at the charity describing the claims as ‘categorically false’ and ‘completely baseless’, our insider says this situation couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Sussexes – especially for Meghan.

After months of complications with her former brand, American Riviera Orchard, and delays on her Netflix Show, With Love, Meghan, a source now says Meghan can’t help but feel that her hard work relaunching her brand is being overshadowed by Harry’s messy drama – and it’s making her mad.

The source says, ‘Meghan’s sympathetic to a large degree because she knows too well what it’s like to be at the centre of a bullying storm. But she’s fearful this is another nail in the coffin of her big lifestyle rollout.

‘This latest scandal could ultimately cost them money, and that makes her very angry and apprehensive.’

In an interview with Sky News, Dr Chandauka claimed how the board of trustees had been too ‘uncomfortable’ to discuss the charity’s drop in funding, which she claimed had been declining since Harry and Meghan stepped down from the Royal Family in 2020 to begin what she described as their ‘toxic brand’.

And the insider says, ‘Harry is in a foul mood over this and he’s vowing to clear his name with whatever it takes. But that doesn’t mean it’s not incredibly stressful.

‘It’s exhausting for Harry, especially because he’s already so worn down. He’s in pieces over everything happening with his father’s health. To have this happening at a time when he’s already so broken down is just beyond the pale.

They add, ‘He and Meghan are both distraught and losing a lot of sleep, the level of pressure on them is becoming untenable. Between him and Meghan, it sometimes feels like every day there seems to be some new catastrophe.’

The Sussexes latest scandal marks a change from the past few years which have seen Meghan at the centre of claims of bullying and reports of diva behaviour.

In January, Meghan also found herself at the forefront of further bullying claims by a source who claimed to have worked with the Duchess and described her as like a ‘Mean Girls teenager’ whose team would be afraid of being ‘thrown to the wolves’ if they made a mistake.

And the source says that while the Duchess is trying to move forward and stay positive about her latest project, the claims being made against Harry have been ‘triggering’ for them both.

The source says, ‘It’s especially painful because he’s being accused of bullying, which is so not in his nature. Not to mention Meghan was accused of the same thing, which makes it that much worse.

‘It’s really triggering for both of them and has reopened old wounds. Fact is, this isn’t just reflecting badly on him, this is impacting the both of them, their brand, everything they’ve built together.’

However, while the couple continue to receive backlash after explosively dropping a series of damning accusations against the royals, while being accused of using their royal monikers to earn millions in huge deals with the likes of Apple and Netflix, Meghan’s latest venture could prove to be the golden goose she and Harry need to break off independently at last.

The couple currently live in the star-studded neighbourhood of Montecito, California with their two children – Archie, five, and three-year-old Lilibet.

But while Harry and Meghan have put on numerous displays of affection over the past few months – including kissing and hugging at The Invictus Games in February – reports have swirled that their estrangement from the Royal Family has put their marriage under pressure, with rumours only intensifying last year when the couple ‘professionally’ separated.

And while recent reports have suggested that Harry is keen to finally extend an olive branch to his family and is encouraging Meghan to do the same, the source says this latest setback is another bump in the road for the pair.

The insider says, ‘There’s a lot of second guessing and micro analysing going on right now. Both Harry and Meghan are at their wits end and it’s taken a toll on their relationship, without a doubt.’

Sentebale was first found by Prince Harry in 2006 in memory of his late mother, Princess Diana and its mission is to help children with HIV across Lesotho and Botswana – a cause Diana was a huge supporter and champion of.

And now this latest setback will undoubtedly be a huge blow for Prince Harry at a time when sources say King Charles’ dash to hospital last week has left him feeling more estranged from his family than ever.

Reports have suggested that Prince Harry may not have been made aware of his father’s hospitalisation, and despite numerous UK trips, he is believed not to have seen his father for over a year.

But the source says Harry felt like he was left with ‘no choice’ but to step down from Sentabale, with insiders adding that he is ‘in total shock and feels like his finger’s been cut off’.

The source says, ‘Harry did not make his decision to resign from Sentebale lightly, he truly felt like there was no other choice. It became clear there was no way forward, so he made the difficult call to step down and speak out about it.

‘He feels like he can’t win no matter what he does because there are just so many people piling on and running with these baseless claims against him.’