MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry’s palace staff used the #freeharry hashtag over fears about his relationship with the Duchess of Sussex, a royal author has sensationally claimed.
Robert Lacey, author of Battle of the Brothers, claims that courtiers felt “run over” by the Duchess who allegedly behaved like a “narcissist” during her time at Kensington Palace.
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The Duchess of Sussex has strongly denied reports that she bullied staff at Kensington Palace.
In his new book, Mr Lacey quotes a Palace courtier as saying: “Meghan portrayed herself as the victim, but she was the bully.
“People felt run over by her. They thought she was a complete narcissist and sociopath — basically unhinged.”
Staff at the Palace had already allegedly coined the “half joke” #freeHarry, Mr Lacey claims.
The author claims:
- “Prince William went ballistic when he heard the ‘dossier of distress’ that [ex comms secretary Jason] Knauf had gathered”
- “The prince was astonished and horrified. He was instantly furious at what he heard”
- “The showdown between the two siblings was fierce and bitter. William believed Meghan was following a plan — ‘agenda’ was the word he used to his friend”
- “Meghan was undermining some precious principles of the monarchy, if she really was treating her staff in this way, and William was upset that she seemed to be stealing his beloved brother away”
- “William wished to be separated from Meghan on a day-to-day basis — and that meant being separated from his brother as well”
A row was sparked when Jason Knauf, who worked in comms for both the Cambridges and the Sussexes, submitted an official email in October 2018 alleging Meghan had bullied staff.
In a letter to Simon Case, then Prince William’s private secretary, Mr Knauf wrote that he was “very concerned that the duchess was able to bully two PAs out of the household in the past year”.
He claimed that Meghan’s alleged treatment of staff was “totally unacceptable”, adding that she “seems intent on always having someone in her sights.
One courtier claimed that the Duchess “governed by fear”. When confronted about her behaviour she allegedly said “it’s not my job to coddle people”.
Meanwhile, it is claimed that Prince William “threw Harry out” in a blistering row over the bullying claims.
But when he called his younger brother, Harry reportedly hung up on him, according to Mr Lacey.
And it’s claimed the brothers’ fury was so great, William split his household from Harry’s altogether, the Times reports.
A source friendly with the Duke of Sussex told Lacey: “William threw Harry out.”
William is said to have felt “hurt and betrayed” – and believed Meghan appeared to be “stealing his beloved brother away from him”.
Meanwhile, it’s claimed Kate “had been wary of her from the start”.
Meghan fiercely denies the bullying claims – and a spokesperson for she and Harry said she’s the victim of a calculated smear campaign.
However, after William heard the allegations, he called Harry immediately.
Lacey writes: “When Harry flared up in furious defence of his wife the elder brother persisted.
“Harry shut off his phone angrily, so William went to speak to him personally.
“The prince was horrified by what he had just been told about Meghan’s alleged behaviour, and he wanted to hear what Harry had to say.
“The showdown between the brothers was fierce and bitter.”
The row came after simmering tension between William, Kate and Harry, when Wills allegedly warned his younger brother against moving too fast with Meghan.
According to biography Finding Freedom, William said: “Don’t feel you need to rush this.
“Take as much as time as you need to get to know this girl.”
The book’s authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand said the phrase “this girl” immediately irritated Harry, who was “p***ed off” that his brother “would ask such a thing”.
And after the bullying allegation was made against the Duchess, William is said to have felt they “linked unhappily” with his reservations.
“William believed Meghan was following a plan — ‘agenda’ was the word he used to his friend — and the accusations he had just heard were alarming,” Lacey claims.
“Kate, he said, had been wary of her from the start.”
It has always been assumed, writes Lacey, that it was Harry who set the pace in separating the two households.
But he said: “But the reverse was the case. It was William who made the decisive move.”
Kensington Palace refused to comment on the claims in the book.
The bombshell allegation comes as Harry prepares to return home and see his brother for the first time since their grandfather’s funeral.
The men are due to see each other for the unveiling of a statue dedicated to their late mother, Princess Diana.
Meanwhile, Mr Scobie today made claims about Meghan’s alleged treatment within the Royal Family.
He claimed there were “several” conversations about the colour of Archie’s skin before the tot was born – and members of the family were “unsympathetic” to the couple’s complaints.
At a Foreign Press Association event today, he said Meghan and Harry suspected it was “not just this one person” who spoke about how dark Archie’s skin could be.
Instead, he said, it was a “much bigger issue” that involved more people.
