MEGHAN Markle wanted to be the “victim” from day one so she could convince Prince Harry to move to America because Royal life was “unbearable”, according to reports.
Sources have suggested the Duchess of Sussex, 39, hatched a plan at the start of their relationship in a bid to execute Megxit.
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More than one source told The Times that Meghan wanted to be the one who appeared to be suffering so she could move back to the US.
One claimed: “She wanted to be the victim because then she could convince Harry that it was an unbearable experience and they had no choice but to move to America.”
But lawyers for Meghan and Harry denied that this claim was true.
And supporters of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have simply argued they were frustrated in their bid to live their life in a different way.
It comes as Meghan, 39, is facing allegations of bullying staff made by one of her closest advisers during her time at Kensington Palace.
The Duchess allegedly snapped “it’s not my job to coddle people” after aides were left in tears and humiliated by her “difficult demands”.
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.
One said they were humiliated by Meghan on a number of occasions.
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
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.
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.
BULLYING CLAIMS
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”.
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”.
