An investigation into the allegations suggesting the Duchess of Sussex bullied her then-staff members at Kensington palace has been launched by royal officials.
- Mar 4, 2021
AceShowbiz - Royal officials have launched a formal investigation into allegations suggesting Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, bullied members of staff at Kensington Palace.
The former "Suits" star was back in the headlines on Tuesday (02Mar21) after a report published in Britain's The Times newspaper detailed a formal complaint made by Jason Knauf, the former communications secretary for Prince Harry and his wife Meghan.
Knauf, who now works for Prince William, is said to have lodged an official complaint in October 2018, just five months after the royals wed, claiming the Duchess' rude behaviour had driven two members of staff out of the household and undermined the confidence of a third.
The report also alleged that Meghan's actions had left staff members in tears at times.
A spokesperson for the Duchess, who is pregnant with the couple's second child, denied the accusations and expressed sadness at "this latest attack on her character," but now officials at Queen Elizabeth II's royal residence, Buckingham Palace, are getting involved.
"We are clearly very concerned about allegations in The Times following claims made by former staff of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex," reads the statement.
"Accordingly our HR (human resources) 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."
The news emerges days before the Sunday (07Mar21) premiere of Harry and Meghan's tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which the Prince addressed the reasons behind their decision to step down as senior royals last year (20) and relocate to California, expressing concerns of "history repeating itself" with the unrelenting press attention on the Duchess, seemingly referencing the car crash death of his late mother Princess Diana in Paris, France in 1997.
