Buckingham Palace is launching an investigation into a bullying complaint made against Meghan Markle by her and Prince Harry‘s former royal staffers.
The pregnant Duchess of Sussex and Duke of Sussex have not commented on the inquiry but recently denied the claims. The news comes days before CBS will air a tell-all special Oprah Winfrey conducted with Meghan and Harry in what will mark their first joint interview since their royal exit, which was recently made permanent. They are expected to discuss why they left their royal roles.
On Tuesday, March 2, the U.K. newspaper The Times reported that one of Meghan and Harry’s former top aides had in 2018 made a complaint about bullying by the duchess, claiming that she allegedly drove two personal assistants out of the royal household and undermined the confidence of a third staff member. The incidents allegedly took place in the years prior to the couple’s 2020 announcement of their decision to step back from their royal duties.
“We are clearly very concerned about allegations in The Times following claims made by former staff of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Wednesday, March 3. ”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.”