PM IS DRAWN INTO ‘BULLY’ MEGHAN ROW
JOHNSON HAS ‘FULL CONFIDENCE’ IN CABINET SECRETARY WHO ‘WAS TOLD’ OF ALLEGATIONS AGAINST DUCHESS WHILE SERVING AT PALACE
BORIS JOHNSON has been dragged into the growing row over claims that Meghan Markle bullied royal staff. His cabinet secretary Simon Case worked for the royal family in 2018, when staff are reported to have complained about the behaviour of Prince Harry’s new bride.
The Duchess of Sussex was said to have humiliated staff, driving out two of her personal assistants and undermining the confidence of a third. No.10 yesterday said reports that Mr Case covered up the bullying claims were ‘a matter for the palace’. But when asked if the prime minister (pictured) had full confidence in him, a spokesman insisted: ‘Yes he does.’
The storm grew as a 30-second clip emerged of Meghan branding the royal family ‘the firm’ and claiming they were ‘perpetuating falsehoods about us’.
The excerpt is from Meghan and Harry’s no holds barred TV interview with Oprah Winfrey, to be aired in the US on Sunday.
It was recorded before the bullying claims emerged this week. But the clip was released on social media yesterday only hours after Buckingham Palace announced an internal inquiry into Meghan. And it shed new light on the couple’s feud with the rest of the royals.
In the clip, the chat show host asks the duchess: ‘How do you feel about the Palace hearing you speak your truth today?’ Meghan replies: ‘I don’t know how they could expect that, after all of this time, we would still just be silent if there is an active role that the firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us.
‘And if that comes with risk of losing things, I mean, I... there is a lot that has been lost already.’
Past and present employees are to be invited to speak in confidence about their experiences working for Meghan in the palace inquiry.
The duchess ‘destroyed’ one member of staff, The Times newspaper reported, and another was left in tears before she departed.
Jason Knauf, who was the Sussexes’
communications secretary at the time, had made a complaint about bullying in October 2018 in an apparent attempt to force Buckingham Palace to protect royal staff.
The paper reported that Mr Knauf sent an email to Mr Case – then the Duke of Cambridge’s private secretary – after conversations with Samantha Carruthers, the royals’ head of human resources.
Mr Knauf wrote in his email: ‘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 (name redacted) and seeking to undermine her confidence. We have had report after report from people who have witnessed unacceptable behaviour towards Y.’
Mr Knauf left a few months after making his allegations and is now a close aide to Harry’s brother William – he works as chief executive of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s charity The Royal Foundation.
Mr Case took over his current Whitehall role last September.
The palace – which usually declines to comment on such matters – said in Wednesday night’s 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 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.’
Meghan’s spokesman has rejected the allegations, saying: ‘The duchess is saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself and is deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma. She is determined to continue her work building compassion around the world and will keep striving to set an example for doing what is right and doing what is good.’
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped away from royal duties last year and have moved to the US, insisting they wanted privacy. It was confirmed last month that they would not be returning to front-line duties, with the Queen removing their military appointments and royal patronages.
But the couple hit back with a contentious statement of their own – which some interpreted as them lecturing the Queen.
They said: ‘We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.’
Their Oprah interview is due to be shown in the US on CBS on Sunday, then screened in Britain on ITV1 the following evening.
There have been calls for the broadcast to be postponed or cancelled while Harry’s 99-year-old grandfather Prince Philip remains in hospital after a heart procedure following an infection.
A previous clip, released on Monday, showed Harry appearing to reflect on his mother Princess Diana’s death and his fears of ‘history repeating itself’ because of media coverage of Meghan.
In the 30-second trailer, he tells Ms Winfrey: ‘I’m just really relieved and happy to be sitting here talking to you with my wife by my side because I can’t begin to imagine what it must have been like for her going through this process by herself all those years ago.
‘Because it’s been unbelievably tough for the two of us but at least we have each other.’