Terming it 'a smear campaign', Meghan Markle has legally demanded proof against allegations that she bullied Palace staff during her time as a frontline royal with Prince Harry in Britain.
According to a report by The Mail on Sunday, a senior Buckingham Palace aide had accused Meghan of 'unacceptable behaviour' towards two personal assistants and undermining the confidence of a third.
Earlier this month, the palace had confirmed that a probe would be conducted after ‘The Times’ published a leaked email from a staff member alleging that the former American actress drove two personal assistants out of the royal household and undermined the confidence of a third member of staff.
The complaint against Meghan dates back to October 2018 when an email was sent by a member of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's staff to a senior courtier. The email was forwarded to the HR department, but the complaint did not progress.
The email leaked by staff member Jason Knauf, the couple's then press secretary to The Times reads:
'I am very concerned that the Duchess was able to bully two PAs out of the household in the past year. The treatment of X [Name redacted] was totally unacceptable. 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'
After the leak, the Palace has reportedly decided that a third-party law firm would conduct an independent investigation into the matter rather than an in-house body.
“Our commitment to look into the circumstances around the allegations from former staff of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is being taken forward but we will not be providing a public commentary on it,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said.
Several former and current royal aides, who could not give evidence in court during Meghan Markle’s recent legal case about privacy against a British newspaper, are expected to speak to the inquiry.
The palace inquiry into the exact circumstances was announced days before Harry and Meghan’s explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey which aired last weekend. The interview made headlines due to the shocking claims made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex around the lack of mental health support offered to a suicidal Meghan and unnamed royals raising concerns about the skin colour of their mixed-race son Archie.
(With PTI inputs)
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