Meghan strongly denies allegations she bullied former staff at Kensington Palace: 'Saddened by this attack on her character'
By Natalie Oliveri|
The Duchess of Sussex has denied allegations of bullying after a complaint was reportedly made by one of her advisers during her time at Kensington Palace, saying she is "saddened by this latest attack on her character".
Meghan said that as "someone who has been the target of bullying" she was "deeply committed" to helping those "who have experienced pain and trauma".
The allegations were made in an article by The Times, published today (Tuesday morning in the UK).
According to the report, the complaint claimed Meghan "drove two personal assistants out of the household and was undermining the confidence of a third staff member".
The complaint was made in October 2018 by Jason Knauf, who was Harry and Meghan's communications secretary at the time.
The Times says Mr Knauf made the complaint hoping to get Buckingham Palace to protect staff who he said were coming under pressure from the duchess.
A source told the publication Prince Harry had asked Mr Knauf not to pursue it.
Meghan has denied any such claims and has hit back at the timing of the story, just days away from the broadcast of an interview with Oprah Winfrey.
"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," a spokesperson for Meghan said in response to The Times' story.
"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 what is good."
The Times says it was approached by sources who wanted "to give their account of the turmoil" within Harry and Meghan's household following her arrival as Harry's girlfriend in 2017 to their decision to step down as working royals in March 2020.
They wanted the public to know their side of the story before Meghan and Harry's interview with Oprah airs on March 7.
The Times reports two senior members of staff say they were bullied by Meghan. Another former employee told?The Times?they had been personally "humiliated" by her.
According to the publication, the bullying allegations were detailed in an email by Mr Knauf following a conversation with palace human relations head Samantha Carruthers.
In the email, portions of which were published by The Times, Mr Knauf wrote: "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* was totally unacceptable."
He added: "The Duchess seems intent on always having someone in her sights. She is bullying Y and seeking to undermine her confidence. We have had report after report from people who have witnessed unacceptable behaviour towards Y."
The paper says its sources feared nothing was done at the time to investigate the allegations, and that nothing had been done since to protect palace staff.
READ MORE: Harry and Meghan's Oprah interview won't be delayed over Prince Philip health fears
Palace aides said measures had been taken behind the scenes to make Meghan comfortable in the early days, little of which were made public, the publication reports.
Harry and Meghan lived at Kensington Palace before their wedding in an apartment separate to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, but their households were managed by the same team. The two households spilt in early 2019.
Prior to the publication of the bullying claims, there had been other reported suggestions of tense relations with staff at Kensington Palace, including suggestions Meghan had raised her voice to one of Kate's staffers.
Lawyers for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told the newspaper it was "being used by Buckingham Palace to peddle a wholly false narrative" before the interview with Oprah.
"Let's just call this what it is กช a calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation," the spokesperson for the Sussex couple said in a letter to The Times.
"We are disappointed to see this defamatory portrayal of The Duchess of Sussex given credibility by a media outlet. 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."
