Meghan Markle has taken aim at the way strong-minded women are labelled the “B-word” and “difficult” in her latest Spotify podcast.

The Duchess of Sussex explored the origin of the labels in this week’s episode of herArchetypes show, called To ‘B’ or not to ‘B’?

Reports suggested Meghan, 41, had been branded "Duchess Difficult" when she andPrince Harry were still working members of theRoyal Family, following claims the former actress would make “huge demands'' of her staff.

In her latest podcast, Meghan confessed she “hates” the “B-word” – while also discussing the way its “cousin, difficult” is used.

She added: "What these people are implying when they use that very charged word, is that this woman, 'Oh, she's difficult'.

"Which is really just a euphemism, or is probably not even a euphemism, it's really a code word for the B-word.”

Later in the episode, she added: “Perhaps the truth is that labelling a woman as the B-word or as difficult is often a deflection – a way to hide some of her really awesome qualities, her persistence, her strength, her perseverance, her strong opinion, maybe even her resilience.”

The Duchess of Sussex also said she had “zero interest” in reclaiming the “B-word”.

Writer and comedian Robin Thede, who has embraced the term, told Meghan: “I love that women have used this phrase bad b**** as a positive thing…. It’s like, you know, you look amazing.”

But Meghan added after hearing sketches using the word liberally: “I mean for a person who hates the word so much, this is giving me hives.

“Nevertheless, I will say it’s all really interesting to me what Robin is talking about because, as you may have guessed, I have zero interest in reclaiming this term.

“But these women I respect, whose work I love, a lot of them are entirely comfortable with that. They want to do that to take the power out of it.”

Towards the end of the episode, in which Meghan also chats to businesswomen Mellody Hobson and Victoria Jackson, she said: "I was just chatting with my girlfriends recently and I was asking them for the show, what a sort of archetypes you think we should discuss and almost immediately, unequivocally, they all jump to difficult.

"That's the word you have to talk about, difficult.

"They said it gets thrown around so casually now and as a woman, my friend said to me, there's a certain point when you come to terms with the fact that not everyone is going to like you.

"The goal can't be for everyone to like you but the goal can be for them to respect you."

Meghan and Harry signed a deal with Spotify to host and produce podcasts, estimated to be worth around £18m, in late 2020.

Archetypes was launched with the aim of investigating "labels that try to hold women back" through conversations between Meghan and historians, experts and women who have experienced being typecast.

Other guests on her podcast have included Paris Hilton, Serena Williams and Mariah Carey.

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