Buckingham Palace Announces Inquiry into Bullying Claims Against Meghan Markle

• In a recent article published by The Times of London, Meghan Markle was accused of "bullying" members of the royal staff during her time in the United Kingdom as a senior working royal.
• A Sussex spokesperson vehemently denied the allegations, calling the article a "calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation" and emphasizing Meghan's own experiences with bullying and her commitment to "supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma."
• Buckingham Palace released a statement Wednesday indicating its intention to investigate the claims made in the article and pledging that the Palace "will not tolerate bullying or harassment in the workplace."

Buckingham Palace (opens in new tab) will investigate claims made in a recent article in The Times of London alleging Meghan Markle "bullied" members of the royal staff (opens in new tab) during her time in the U.K. as a senior, working royal.

Per the Times (opens in new tab): "Two senior members of staff have claimed that they were bullied by the duchess," and a third told the publication that “it felt 'more like emotional cruelty and manipulation, which I guess could also be called bullying.'”

While a Sussex spokesperson (opens in new tab) vehemently denied the reports, on Wednesday, Buckingham Palace released a new statement in which it committed to investigate the claims made in the Times article. In the statement, which royal author and correspondent Omid Scobie (opens in new tab) shared on Twitter, the Palace said:

We are clearly very concerned about allegations in The Times following claims made by former staff of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

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.

The Palace's statement comes after a Sussex spokesperson vehemently denied the allegations of bullying (opens in new tab):

"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. 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 Sussex spokesperson said, adding, "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. 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."

It's worth noting that the Times piece includes a claim that the Sussexes' lawyer (opens in new tab) accused Buckingham Palace (opens in new tab) of promoting inaccurate stories about the couple as well as a report that the Palace is concerned about the allegations royal staffers have levied against Meghan.

Per the Times: "The couple’s lawyers told The Times that this newspaper is 'being used by Buckingham Palace to peddle a wholly false narrative' before the interview," and "The Times understands that the palace establishment is highly concerned that the allegations have emerged."