Duchess Meghan
What has the palace found out about the bullying allegations?
Duchess Meghan performing with her husband Prince Harry.
© imago/ANP
A former employee had accused Duchess Meghan of bullying. The palace’s investigation into this should be complete.
The British royal family is said to have completed an investigation into allegations of bullying against Duchess Meghan (40). The allegations were made by a palace official who worked with Prince Harry’s wife, 37. The Duchess of Sussex has firmly denied the allegations.
The results of the investigation report are said not to be made public. Recommendations from this should be included in the guidelines of the palace, According to “People”, a high-ranking official of the Royals said. All staff and members of the royal family will be briefed on the new procedures, an insider said, according to the magazine.
A new addition to the internal guidelines is said to be that employees are encouraged to be “whistleblowers” if they receive complaints about “inappropriate” practices or actions. There should be a guideline on how palace employees can communicate in such cases. There shouldn’t be any restrictions. According to the insider, there are also opportunities for independent advisors to raise issues “if appropriate.”
The Times report sparked an investigation
The investigation was commissioned by Buckingham Palace in March 2021, following a report in The Times newspaper. It alleged that there was a bullying complaint against the Duchess of Sussex. The allegations are said to come from one of their closest associates and stem from the days when the Sussexes were still royals at Kensington Palace.
According to the allegations in the complaint, which The Times says was filed in October 2018, Meghan evicted two personal assistants and damaged the confidence of a third employee. Immediately following the Times report, Meghan issued a statement: “The Duchess is saddened by this recent attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself and is committed to supporting those in pain and trauma. She is committed to continuing her work of building compassion around the world and will continue to strive to set an example of what is right and good.”
A day later, the palace announced an investigation into the allegations. It was “really very concerned about the allegations in the Times,” it said in a statement. Therefore, the circumstances described in the article will be examined. An external law firm is said to have been commissioned to investigate.
Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry married in May 2018. A year later, their son Archie (3) was born. In early 2020, the Sussexes stepped down as senior members of the royal family and relocated to California. The couple’s second child, daughter Lilibet (1), was born there in June 2021.