Meghan Markle news: Was she a menace to royal staff?

Ever since Meghan Markle married Prince Harry, it looks like more than just their lives were turned upside down. In recent royal news, it seems that Markle was actually a bully to her royal staff members right before Prince Harry & Meghan Markle’s Oprah interview. Let’s see what happened behind those palace gates.

Happily-ever-after

Once Meghan Markle tried to settle into her new life as the Duchess of Sussex, according to Cosmopolitan, the royal couple were hit with bombshell after bombshell as the media targeted Prince Harry’s bride & mother of his son, Archie. 

The royal couple took a step back in early 2020 and according to royal expert Robert Lacey: “Harry & Meghan had put a great deal of thought into trying to create something that would work for both sides, but that was all blown then their plans were leaked to the press.”

After the news hit and the documents were suddenly leaked, Cosmopolitan noted that they had to make an official announcement. Unfortunately for Prince Harry & Meghan Markle, this meant no HRH titles, and would no longer receive any public funding. 

Now the young married couple is living in their California home that they bought in July 2020. According to Insider: “They have settled into the quiet privacy of their community since their arrival and hope that this will be respected for their neighbors as well as them as a family.”

However, despite their new charming life, royal staff members claimed that they were constantly “humiliated” by the former Suits actress. 

Guessing games

In an interview with The Times, two royal staff members sadly expressed that they were ridiculed by Meghan Markle. One of Markle’s former aides claimed that working for Markle was “more like emotional cruelty and manipulation, which I guess could also be called bullying”. 

When Meghan Markle attended a dinner in Fiji in 2018, she was reportedly wearing earrings sent from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia as a wedding gift. She then cut her trip to Fiji short, claiming that she had reservations about the UN Women organization and that the earrings she wore were “borrowed” from a jeweler. 

However, Markle’s lawyer firmly stated that the Duchess may have said they were “borrowed” but never from a “jeweler” and didn’t mislead anyone about their true value or origin, according to The Times. 

Bullying

The Times also reported that one particular royal member, Jason Knauf, the Sussexes’s former communications secretary in 2018, wrote an email stating: “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.”

Knauf continued: “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 behavior towards Y.”

Jason Knauf concluded his email with extreme concern about the environment within the palace: “I questioned if the Household policy on bullying and harassment applies to principals.”

Ignored complaints

After Jason Knauf’s complaint was sent to the HR department, Prince Harry was notified and allegedly begged Knauf to “not pursue it”. As The Times reported, an insider explained: “Senior people in the household, Buckingham Palace & Clarence House, knew that they had a situation where members of staff, particularly young women, were being bullied to the point of tears.”

The royal insider continued: “The institution just protected Meghan constantly. All the men in grey suits who she hates have a lot to answer for, because they did absolutely nothing to protect people.”

Since Jason Knauf’s complaint wasn’t heard, he immediately resigned. And though a newspaper explained that Meghan Markle’s personal assistant of six month left, many believe that Markle was more worried about her name in the British press than anything else. But The Times noted, Markle’s lawyer’s stated she never read the news. . . Strange? 

“Smear campaign”

There’s always two sides to the drama in the royal family, but with Meghan Markle there’s been a lot of speculation against her. 

The Sussexes’s spokesman sent a statement after the damaging interview to The Times: “Let’s just call this what it is – a calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation. We are disappointed to see this defamatory portrayal of The Duchess of Sussex given credibility by a media outlet.”

The spokesman for Meghan Markle & Prince Harry added: “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 & The Duke are due to speak openly and honestly about their experience of recent years.”

Reportedly, Meghan Markle is deeply “saddened by this latest attack” as she’s someone who has experienced trauma from bullying and has devoted her life to provide compassion to the world. 

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Do you think Meghan Markle was a bully when she lived with the royal family? Let us know in the comments below.