Buckingham Palace hires third party to investigate allegations of bullying against Meghan Markle

Buckingham Palace is officially enlisting the help of a third-party law firm to probe allegations of abuse leveled against Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex.

After a former adviser accused Markle of building a toxic work atmosphere and making several aides weep during her tenure at Kensington Palace, the palace announced the probe. The palace has agreed to use unbiased external prosecutors after launching the inquiry, according to The Times on Sunday.

According to People magazine, the palace said in a previous 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 statement went on to say, “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.”

Markle's spokesman previously described the accusation as a “smear attack” and asked to see the evidence supporting the bullying allegations.

Markle's spokesperson told The New York Times, “Let's just call this what it is — a calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation.”

“We are disappointed to see this defamatory portrayal of The Duchess of Sussex given credibility by a media outlet,” the spokesperson added. “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.”

On March 7, Markle and Prince Harry sat down for a candid chat with Oprah Winfrey, accusing the palace of racism. Markle has addressed her mental health challenges.