Sussexes and Palace call truce over bullying report

Silence from Meghan and Harry after contents kept secret will lead to hopes of a reduction in tensions

THE Palace and the Sussexes appear to have called a truce over a bullying report, as the Duke and Duchess opted to stay silent following a decision that its contents be kept from the public.

Buckingham Palace has blocked publication of details of the report into the handling of bullying allegations made against the Duchess of Sussex in 2018, with its limited findings kept hidden, even from those who contributed.

In response, the Duke and Duchess will make no public comment on the unresolved allegations, despite previously authorising the strongest of statements in defence of the Duchess.

The unusual decision by both parties to remain silent has led to speculation that the Palace and Sussexes are both moving to downplay the long-running dispute. Both sides are understood to want to draw a line under the episode.

Those involved in the review – said to be around half a dozen former members of staff – have remained tight-lipped about the detail of the Duchess’s alleged behaviour in 2018.

Yesterday, a senior Palace source confirmed the findings of the independent review into how staff handled the allegations would not be made public.

Those who shared their experiences working for the Duchess for the purposes of the report have been told only that the review has concluded, and that internal “policies and procedures” would be changed as a result.

Most have now left the Royal household, which means they have no access to the intranet on which they could see any updated bullying and harassment policies. The limited findings are a significant about-turn from the original scope of the report.

In early 2021, when the accusations came to light, a Palace source said they were “clearly very concerned” and pledged to hold a privately funded review to see if “lessons can be learnt”.

Any changes to HR policy that resulted were to be included in this week’s Sovereign Grant Report, the annual Buckingham Palace financial review, but they did not materialise.

“The review has been completed and recommendations on our policies and procedures have been taken forward, but we will not be commenting further,” a senior source said.

That the Sussexes will not issue a response to the news is in stark contrast to when the allegations first emerged. Then, their team called the claims a “calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation”.

Drawing attention to the timing of a leak, before the Sussexes’ Oprah Winfrey television interview, they claimed: “It’s no coincidence that distorted several-year-old accusations aimed at undermining the Duchess are being briefed to the British media shortly before she and the Duke are due to speak openly and honestly about their experience of recent years.”