Queen Elizabeth II, Royal Family react to allegations that Meghan Markle bullied staff

Queen Elizabeth II and the royal family on Wednesday responded to The Times allegations on The Duchess of Sussex that she bullied the royal staff at Kensington Palace. In a statement issued on March 3, Buckingham Palace said: ’We are clearly very concerned about allegations in The Times following claims made by former staff of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Our HR team will look into the circumstances outlined in the article.” The outlet had reported that the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle "drove two personal assistants out of the household and was undermining the confidence of a third staff member.” It alleged that she would bully and harass the royal staff and made them cry. 

"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 statement from the Royal family 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,” it added. A complaint was filed by a staff member named Jason Knauf in 2018 against The Duchess of Sussex. Knauf was employed as the communications secretary for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex then. "Senior people in the household, Buckingham Palace and Clarence House knew that they had a situation where members of staff, particularly young women, were being bullied to the point of tears,” The Times report alleged. 

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Markle 'grieved' by allegations 

However, a spokesperson for Meghan and Harry denied the allegations published by the newspaper saying that it was an attempt of a smear campaign against the Duchess of Sussex. Further, the spokesperson told UK’s ET that the timing of the controversy was placed when Meghan and Harry's tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey is scheduled to premiere Sunday on CBS. The Duchess of Sussex, the spokesperson said, was grieved and traumatized by the latest allegation, and being a target herself of bullying, she believes in building compassion around the world. 

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