MEGHAN ROCKED BY FRESH ALLEGATIONS!
It was supposed to be Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’s golden moment – stepping back into the Hollywood spotlight to air her grievances on US primetime television with Prince Harry and Oprah Winfrey by her side.
Instead, the heavily pregnant 39-year-old was last week, sources say, left shocked after respected London newspaper
The Times reported bombshell accusations she behaved like a “manipulative bully” who made staff tremble and cry during the short amount of time she lived at Kensington Palace.
Meghan and Harry, 36, released a strong denial last week through their lawyer, who claimed that the newspaper “is being used by Buckingham Palace to peddle a wholly false narrative”.
A spokesperson said, “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.”
While The Times allowed anonymity to three aides who made the claims, it revealed Harry’s trusted former communications boss Jason Knauf had informed Prince William’s then private secretary Simon Case of the allegations in 2018, and followed up with emailing palace HR head Samantha Carruthers, who agreed the situation was “serious”.
According to the publication, “staff would... be reduced to tears. One aide, anticipating a confrontation with Meghan, told a colleague, ‘I can’t stop shaking.’”
MANIPULATION & TEARS
Another former employee claims they felt “personally humiliated” by Meghan and that two members of staff had been bullied.
A further staff member reveals,
“It felt more like emotional cruelty and manipulation, which I guess could be called bullying.”
The Times says these sources approached the paper in an effort to balance what they anticipated to be a one-sided interview with Oprah, which airs March 8 Australian time and Sunday evening in the US. Woman’s Day has learned through independent sources that it was a “barely kept secret” Meghan was difficult to work for. “It was sort of a sick joke among aides that she got one of her first walk-on acting roles in the movie Horrible Bosses,” says the insider.
“It became hard to speak out about her behaviour because she would always deny it. Meghan would have people believe she was a tough boss, just a motivated Hollywood woman who knew what she wanted. But maybe that’s not the case,” says the source.
PALACE ANNOUNCEMENT
In a statement, Buckingham Palace representatives say they are “very
concerned” by the allegations and would launch a probe into the bullying complaint. “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 palace said.
“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.”