Buckingham Palace has hired an independent law firm to investigate a purported claim that Meghan Markle “bullied” royal staff, CNN reported Monday.
CNN said it did not know which external firm had been tapped by the Queen, but it noted the move coincided with the palace attempting to contain the damage caused by Prince Harry and Meghan’s blockbuster interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The palace previously said it would investigate after unidentified royal aides reportedly told The Times of London that a complaint was lodged against Meghan related to her time as a working royal living at Kensington Palace.
“Our commitment to look into the circumstances around allegations from former staff of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is being taken forward but we will not be providing a public commentary on it,” a palace spokesman said Monday.
Meghan said earlier this month that she was disheartened by the complaint reportedly made in October 2018 by Jason Knauf, the couple’s former press secretary.
“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,” a spokesperson for the couple said in a statement obtained by People.
During the couple’s sit-down with Winfrey, Meghan said an unidentified member of the royal family raised “concerns” about the potential skin color of her son, Archie, before he was born.
Meghan, 39, also revealed she felt so maligned and minimized in her royal role — and besieged by racist media coverage and social media — that she experienced suicidal thoughts.
“I just didn’t see a solution,” she told Winfrey. “But I knew that if I didn’t say it that I would do it — and I just didn’t want to be alive anymore. And that was a very clear and real and frightening constant thought.”
Meghan said she asked a senior royal about the possibility of inpatient care in a hospital but was told it “wouldn’t be good for the institution.”
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(If you are experiencing thoughts about suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.)
