MEGHAN Markle allegedly snapped “it’s not my job to coddle people” after aides were left in tears and humiliated by her “difficult demands”, according to reports.
The Duchess of Sussex, 39, is facing allegations of bullying staff made by one of her closest advisers during her time at Kensington Palace.
Read our Meghan and Harry live blog for the latest news...
A source told The Times she drove two personal assistants out of the household and undermined the confidence of a third.
In 2017, shortly after Harry and Meghan announced their engagement, a senior aide told the happy couple their treatment of staff had caused difficulties.
According to The Times, the pair were told staff needed to be treated well, even if they were not performing to their standards.
But Meghan is said to have replied: “It’s not my job to coddle people.”
Sources said staff were bullied and some were even reduced to tears due to the difficult demands.
BULLYING CLAIMS
One said they were humiliated by Meghan on a number of occasions.
Meghan denies any allegations of bullying.
More sources later told the newspaper a “febrile” atmosphere existed at Kensington Palace when Meghan and Harry lived beside William and Kate.
It comes as:
- Meghan claimed Royal aides had launched a “calculated smear campaign” against her ahead of her interview with Oprah Winfrey
- The Duchess is claimed to have left an employee shaking with fear following an alleged row
- Meghan ‘wore earrings gifted by Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman just three weeks after the death of Jamal Khashoggi’
- The explosive interview with Oprah had reportedly been in the works for two years
- Meghan and Harry’s Oprah interview could make “many millions” for TV bosses
And one aide, fearing a confrontation with Meghan, apparently told a colleague: “I can’t stop shaking.”
Another aide said Meghan’s behaviour felt “more like emotional cruelty and manipulation, which I guess could also be called bullying”.
The duchess denies bullying and her lawyers stated that one individual left after findings of misconduct.
The bombshell claims come just days before Meghan and Harry, 36, give their “shocking” and “tell-all” interview to Oprah Winfrey on US telly.
At the start of their relationship, it was suggested that the early problems were partly down to cultural differences in management style.
Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, authors of Finding Freedom, said Americans can be “much more direct”.
But insiders told The Times Meghan could be sharp with people she felt were letting her down.
One former employee said: “I had unpleasant experiences with her. I would definitely say humiliated.”
It is claimed allegations of bullying at the palace were submitted by Jason Knauf in October 2018 who was the couple’s communications secretary at the time.
The claims were raised to HR in a bid to get Buckingham Palace to protect the staff that Knauf alleged were coming under pressure from the duchess.
A source told the newspaper that Prince Harry had pleaded with Knauf not to pursue the bullying allegations.
A spokesman for the Sussexes said last night they were the victims of a calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation.
The couple’s spokesman claimed the duchess was “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”.
