Ahead of her big television interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan is now facing accusations of a bullying complaint from one of her former advisers at Kensington Palace.
WATCH: First look at Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s tell-all interview with Oprah
According to The Times, royal palace aides approached the newspaper to “hit back” at the Duchess by alleging that she faced “a bullying complaint made by one of her closest advisers”.
Sources reportedly claim that Meghan drove two personal assistants out of the household and undermined the confidence of a third staff member.
Jason Knauf, Harry and Meghan’s communications assistant at the time, reportedly submitted the complaint in October 2018 to protect palace staff who were allegedly “coming under pressure” from the Duchess.
In the email reported to have been sent by James, he outlined a range of “very serious” concerns about how staff were allegedly being treated inside the London home.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have since come out to release a statement in response to the allegations:
“The Duchess is saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself and is deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma,” the statement reads.
“She is determined to continue her work building compassion around the world and will keep striving to set an example for doing what is right and doing what is good.”
The reports claimed that Jason sent the complaint after discussing the issues with a human resources chief, and a source also reportedly said that Prince Harry pleaded with his communications secretary not to send it.
And while this isn’t the first time we’ve heard stories during Meghan’s time in the Royal Family that suggested at discord with staff, it’s the first of claims that have been made about a complaint of bullying.
Buckingham Palace also released a statement of its own about the matter, saying its HR team is looking into the claims as they take bullying accusations seriously.
“We are clearly very concerned about allegations in ‘The Times’ following claims made by former staff of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
“Accordingly our HR team will look into the circumstances outlined in the article. Members of staff involved at the time, including those who have left the Household, will be invited to participate to see if lessons can be learned.”
The statement continued to add: “The Royal Household has had a Dignity at Work police in place for a number of years and does not and will not tolerate bullying or harassment in the workplace.”
Meghan and Harry’s lawyers have also said that The Times was being used “by Buckingham Palace to peddle a wholly false narrative” before the couple’s “tell-all” interview with Oprah.
The bombshell interview, which will air in the US on Sunday, will show the Sussexes speaking candidly about their lives for the first time since stepping back as senior royals in 2020.
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