Buckingham Palace said Wednesday that it would investigate allegations that Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, occupationally harassed several staff members after a British media report cited unidentified royal aides who said a complaint had been filed. against her in 2018.
The Times newspaper in the UK published an article on Tuesday citing sources who said the complaint claimed the Duchess expelled two personal assistants from her Kensington Palace home and undermined the trust of a third staff member. Globe Live Media has not been able to corroborate the claims.
Sources also said they reached out to The Times because they felt the Duchess’s version that had come out publicly was only partially true and that they were concerned about how workplace harassment issues had been addressed. The report indicates that sources believed the public “should get a feel for their side of the story” ahead of the couple’s highly anticipated interview with Oprah Winfrey on Sunday, their first appearance since they left London to North America last year.
Buckingham Palace said it was “very concerned” by the allegations described in the report.
“Accordingly, our human resources team will analyze the circumstances described in the article. Staff members involved at that time, including those who have left the Royal House, will be invited to participate to see if lessons can be learned, “he said in his statement.
“The Royal Household has had a Dignity at Work policy for several years and does not and will not tolerate bullying or harassment in the workplace.”
Prince Harry and Meghan announced in January 2020 that they would cease to be active members of the royal family and moved to North America shortly thereafter. Buckingham Palace confirmed last month that the couple had agreed with Queen Elizabeth II, Harry’s grandmother, that they would not return as active royals.
The move sparked talk of a rift between the couple, who have settled in California and are expecting their second child, and the British royal family.
A spokesman for the Sussexes dismissed The Times report as “a calculated smear campaign” prior to the couple’s interview with Winfrey.
“Let’s call this what it is: a calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful information. We are disappointed to see this defamatory portrait of the Duchess of Sussex receive credibility from one media outlet, ”the spokesman said.
“The Duchess is saddened by this latest attack on her, particularly as someone who has been bullied and is deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma. She is determined to continue her work of building compassion around the world and will continue to strive to set the example of doing what is right and doing what is good.
The spokesman said that the claims made in the newspaper’s report were “defamatory” and that a legal rebuttal letter had been sent to the news outlet.
In a Wednesday night promo clip of a personal interview to air Sunday, Oprah Winfrey asks Meghan, “How do you feel about the palace hearing you speak your truth today?”
“I don’t know how they could expect us to be silent after all this time if there is an active role the firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us,” Meghan replies. “And, if that carries the risk of losing things, I mean… there is a lot that has already been lost.”
Harry also touched on real life pressures during a conversation with fellow Brit James Corden for his “Late Late Show” last month.
“It was a really difficult environment,” said the Duke. ‘We all know what the British press can be like… and it was destroying my sanity. I thought, ‘This is toxic,’ so I did what any husband and father would do: I need to get my family out of here.
Harry and Meghan have been embroiled in a long-running war of words and lawsuits with a large section of the tabloid media, fighting multiple legal cases against publications and photo agencies that had published details of their private lives.
Last month, Meghan won a privacy claim against the editors of the Sunday Mail on Sunday after they published a letter she sent to her father and launched a harsh reprimand to “dehumanize” the media after the verdict, saying that “The damage they have done and continue to do is profound.”