Duchess faces palace ‘bullying’ investigation
Royal feud likely to worsen as Sussexes allege senior figures were behind claims over behaviour to staff
BUCKINGHAM Palace is to investigate claims that the Duchess of Sussex bullied members of her staff, it was announced last night.
A spokesman said they were “clearly very concerned” about allegations the Duchess, 39, had forced out two PAS and undermined the confidence of a third.
There is disquiet that nothing was done at the time to investigate, and no action had been taken since to protect staff against the possibility of bullying by a member of the Royal family.
Buckingham Palace confirmed its HR team would now look into the circumstances outlined in various allegations leaked to The Times.
It said: “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 learnt.
“The Royal Household has had a Dignity at Work policy for a number of years and does not and will not tolerate bullying or harassment.”
The provenance of the leaked allegations caused the battle between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Royal Household to escalate yesterday as palace aides branded allegations they had leaked the claims as “untrue”.
The revelation that the Duchess faced several complaints of bullying from her own staff also thwarted hopes of a reconciliation between Prince Harry and Prince William.
It was revealed Jason Knauf, then the Sussexes’ communications secretary, made a formal complaint in October 2018, describing treatment of one employee as “totally unacceptable”. He added: “The Duchess seems intent on always having someone in her sights.”
The Sussexes are convinced senior Buckingham Palace aides leaked the allegations because they are “nervous” about revelations made in their Oprah Winfrey interview, to be broadcast in the US on Sunday.
A source close to the couple said: “It’s not possible for this to have happened without the acknowledgement or understanding, perhaps a gentle nod or a wink, from someone pretty central or senior at the palace.
“How could a junior member of staff have pulled this all together? This was a clear collaboration. There is a motive and it is connected to Sunday.”
One source noted: “There are very few people who would have had all of the information that is in this story.”
The Duchess, while not denying she did face bullying complaints, was said to be “devastated” by the revelations.
Aides said that although there was no desire to deny how other people felt, the fact former colleagues felt compelled to compile “a whole list of terrible things” that took place over two years was understandably distressing.
But a senior palace aide branded the allegation that they had been “peddling a wholly false narrative” as “untrue and disingenuous”. They said: “There are far more important things we have been focused on than the circus around a media interview.”
The source pointed out that the leak did not reflect well on the palace, adding: “It made uncomfortable reading and we can’t deny that.” Questions were also being asked about royal employees signing non-disclosure agreements.
One member of the Sussexes’ staff acknowledged that life at Kensington Palace at the time was “frantic” and “a bit of a pressure cooker”.
In a statement, a spokesman for the Duchess said: “[She] 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.”
The Duchess has vowed to donate the damages from her recent legal victory against The Mail on Sunday to an antibullying charity.