How Meghan Markle bullied Royal Staff

Markle's conduct at the palace allegedly contributed to a formal complaint from the couple's former communications secretary in October 2018, who said Markle “drove two personal assistants out of the household and undermined the confidence of a third staff member,” according to a new story in Britain's The Times. Several palace employees were allegedly bullied by Markle, and were frequently reduced to tears by her “unacceptable” conduct.

Former Kensington Palace aides have contacted The Times newspaper with a series of claims about the months after the pair married in May 2018.

According to the Times, in October 2018, Jason Knauf, Harry and Meghan's well-regarded communication boss at the time, sent an email to Simon Case, Prince William's then-private secretary, detailing a number of “very serious” concerns over how workers were handled inside the London home shared by both couples.

Knauf filed the complaint after discussing the issues with human resources director Samantha Carruthers.

“I am very concerned that the duchess was able to bully two [personal assistants] out of the household in the past year,” he wrote in the email. “The treatment of X was totally unacceptable .”

The Times used letters to conceal the identity of the employees.

“The duchess seems intent on always having someone in her sights. She is bullying Y and seeking to undermine her confidence. We have had report after report from people who have witnessed unacceptable behaviour towards Y .”

According to The Times, the complaint was not pursued further. A number of unnamed employees said that the priority was to make the complaint disappear rather than deal with it.

The Times was contacted by insiders who believed that only a part of Meghan's tenure as a royal servant had been revealed.

A spokeswoman for Markle refuted any of the allegations and, predictably, criticized the article's timing.

The statement said, “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. 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 representative added that Markle was “saddened by this new attack on her character,” especially as “someone who has been the target of bullying herself and is deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma.”

Palace probing Meghan Markle's reported bullying

Markle has gone to considerable efforts to paint herself as a victim of palace intrigue, but this might not be the case.

The claims that Meghan Markle bullied royal staff have prompted Buckingham Palace to open an inquiry.

The Palace announced on Wednesday night that it is investigating the claims.

A spokesperson for the palace said, “(The palace) does not and will not tolerate bullying or harassment in the workplace. 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. 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.”