Five days before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s tell-all interview with Oprah is set to air, a new report came out with allegations that the Duchess of Sussex faced a bully complaint during her time as a working royal in Kensington Palace.
U.K. outlet The Times published the report on Tuesday (March 2), claiming she “drove two personal assistants out of the household and was undermining the confidence of a third staff member.”
The complaint was reportedly made by Prince Harry and Meghan’s communications secretary at the time, Jason Knauf. A source also claims that “members of staff, particularly young women, were being bullied to the point of tears.”
Meghan’s office has strongly refuted these allegations, questioning the timing of the report.
“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,” a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in a statement, via Entertainment Tonight.
“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,” the spokesperson continues. “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 doing what is good.”
The spokesperson has also issued a statement to The Times addressing the allegations. “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 spokesperson says in part.
Meghan and Prince Harry’s interview with Oprah – their first televised interview since their engagement – will air on March 7th at 8PM ET/PT. According to CBS, Meghan will chat with Oprah about everything “from stepping into life as a Royal, marriage, motherhood, philanthropic work to how she is handling life under intense public pressure.” Harry will join her later on to talk about “their move to the United States and their future hopes and dreams for their expanding family.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have recently made some pretty big announcements. On Valetine’s Day, the couple revealed that they were expecting their second child. Less than a week later, Buckingham Palace confirmed that they will no longer be returning to their royal roles, losing their patronages in the process – something that had previously been agreed upon when they first stepped down as senior members of the royal family.
Per the Palace’s statement, the Queen has decreed that “it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service.”
The couple have since responded with a statement of their own, saying, “We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.”
