Meghan Markle Calls Bullying Allegations a ‘Calculated Smear Campaign,’ Yet Buckingham Palace is Investigating

Michele Spatari/ Getty Images

Just days before Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey is set to air, the Duchess of Sussex is facing bullying allegations from former royal aides.

On Tuesday, British newspaper The Times reported that royal aides have accused Markle of “emotional cruelty,” claiming she faced a bullying complaint from a close adviser at Kensington Palace.

“Let’s just call this what it is — a calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation,” a spokesman for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told the Times following the accusations.

“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,” the spokesperson added, referencing the Winfrey interview.

The Duke and Duchess were often targeted by the media while still active members of the Royal family, which they have both said attributed to their decision to step back. 

“I’m told that in 2019 I was the most trolled person in the entire world-male or female,” Markle said in an October interview.“Now eight months of that I wasn’t even visible. I was on maternity leave or with a baby but what was able to just be manufactured and churned out, it’s almost unsurvivable. That’s so big you can’t even think about what that feels like because I don’t care if you’re 15 or 25 if people are saying things about you that aren’t true what that does to your mental and emotional health is so damaging.”

On Wednesday, despite Markle and Prince Harry’s denial of the allegations, Buckingham Palace released a statement saying the would be launching an investigation into the claims made.

“We are clearly very concerned about allegations in The Times following claims made by former staff of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” the palace said. “Accordingly our HR team will look into the circumstances outlined in the article. 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 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,” added the statement.

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