Meghan Markle, who’s married to Prince Harry, has wasted no time in firing back after reports came in that she “bullied two of her staff” during her time as a working royal.
Per the Times, “Two senior members of staff have claimed that they were bullied by the duchess.”
Full Story: Report: Harry And Meghan Intend To Air Grievances With Royal Family During Oprah Tell-All
Meghan Accused Of Bullying Staffers
Daily Mail expanded on the report from the Times that a bullying complaint was made against Meghan in October of 2018 by Jason Knauf. He was Meghan and and Harry’s communications secretary at the time.
He allegedly made this complaint after it was claimed that Meghan “drove two personal assistants out of the household and was undermining the confidence of a third staff member.”
It was reported that Harry “pleaded” with Knauf not to look into the allegations.
However, Knauf felt that he needed to notify Buckingham Palace that staffers felt overwhelmed by the pressure Meghan was putting on them.
Knauf is now the head of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s charitable foundation.
Related: Meghan Markle’s Hollywood Attitude Led To Bitter Clash With Royal Staffers
Meghan Replies To Allegations
Meghan quickly responded to the reports through a spokesperson claiming that this is a “calculated smear campaign” by the royal family to undermine her character ahead of her Oprah interview.
“Let’s just call this what it is — a calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation,” a spokesman for Harry and Meghan told the Times of London.
“It’s no coincidence that distorted several-year-old accusations aimed at undermining The Duchess are being briefed to the British media shortly before she and The Duke are due to speak openly and honestly about their experience of recent years,” the spokesperson added.
Meghan also let it be known that she 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 spokesperson concluded by saying that this will not stop her from continuing her “work building compassion around the world” and that she “will keep striving to set an example for doing what is right and doing what is good.”
Buckingham Palace Responds
At first, Buckingham Palace declined to comment on this matter, but then released this statement:
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 Royal Household has had a Dignity at Work policy in place for a number of years and does not and will not tolerate bullying or harassment in the workplace.
Before the statement was released, senior royal sources said that neither the palace or the royal family orchestrated this in any way.
The sources added that the royal family is currently focused entirely on the health of Queen Elizabeth’s 99-year-old husband Prince Philip, who has been hospitalized since February 16 and was transferred recently to a new facility.
Related: Queen Elizabeth Checkmates Prince Harry And Meghan In Epic Move
Meghan can play the victim all she wants to, but she can’t have her cake and eat it, too.
If she wants to do a big flashy tell-all interview about the British royal family with Oprah, she should expect all of the skeletons she has in her own closet to come out.
Harry and Meghan’s tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey is set to air on March 7.
Check out the trailer for it below.
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