A spokeswoman for Meghan Markle spoke after the Duchess of Sussex faced accusations of bullying during her time as a royal worker at Kensington Palace.
On Tuesday, The Times in the UK claimed that the 39-year-old woman faced a complaint of bullying made by one of her close advisers. However, Markle’s team vehemently refuted the allegations.
“The Duchess is saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been bullied and is deeply committed to supporting those who have gone through pain and trauma,” said a spokesman for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in a statement. statement sent to Fox News on Wednesday.
“She is determined to continue her work of building compassion around the world and will continue to strive to set an example of doing what is right and doing what is good,” added the statement.
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A spokesman for Meghan Markle denied allegations that the Duchess of Sussex bullied palace officials during her time at Kensington Palace.
(AP)
The allegation came days before Markle’s interview with Oprah Winfrey alongside her husband, Prince Harry, was scheduled to air on Sunday.
“The whole thing reminds me of an old rugby saying: ‘Get your retaliation first,'” a source told the channel.
According to The Times, the complaint was first made in October 2018 by Jason Knauf, the couple’s former communications secretary. The complaint alleged that the former American actress expelled two personal assistants from home and undermined the trust of a third employee.
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The agency said Knauf had filed the complaint in an effort to protect palace officials who claimed to be being bullied by Markle. Some claimed that they were even reduced to tears.
A real aide would have said to a colleague: “I can’t stop shaking”.
A source claimed that Harry, 36, begged Knauf not to pursue the complaint. However, the couple’s lawyers deny that the meeting took place or that Harry interfered in any matter on the team.
The agency said Knauf allegedly sent an email to Simon Case, who was Prince William’s private secretary at the time. The email was then forwarded to Samantha Carruthers, head of human resources. In the e-mail, Knauf said that Carruthers “agreed with me on all accusations that the situation was very serious”, adding: “I am still concerned that nothing will be done”.
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Prince William (right) is Prince Harry’s older brother (left). He is second in line to the British throne.
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A Sussexes spokesman fired on allegations reported by The Times.
“Let’s just call it what it is – a smear campaign calculated on the basis of misleading and damaging misinformation,” the spokesman told the media.
“We are disappointed to see this defamatory portrait of the Duchess of Sussex receiving credibility through the media,” continued the spokesman. “It is no coincidence that distorted accusations of several years aimed at undermining the Duchess are being reported to the British media shortly before she and the Duke have spoken openly and honestly about their experience in recent years.”
In addition to the allegations of intimidation, the Times also claimed that during his visit to Fiji in 2018, Markle wore earrings that were a wedding gift from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. US intelligence agencies said the 35-year-old man approved the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi that same year.
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in Fiji in October 2018.
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People magazine noted that the earrings were presented on March 7, 2018, by the Saudi Arabian royal family. The vehicle revealed that neither the Duke nor Duchess of Sussex was present when the gift was presented at Buckingham Palace. It is also a protocol that any wedding gift of this nature remains the property of the Crown.
In 2019, several of Markle’s friends told People that the Duchess was the victim of “global bullying” by the tabloids.
“Meg leaned back in silence and endured the lies and untruths,” said a friend to the channel.
In 2018, the UK’s Mail on Sunday claimed that Markle, or “Hurricane Meghan”, “bombarded auxiliaries” with emails and text messages at 5 am.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s meeting with Oprah Winfrey will air on Sunday.
(Reuters, AP)
Last week, CBS announced that Harry and Markle would speak to Winfrey. It is the couple’s first major television interview since leaving royal duties and buying a home last year in the United States.
The meeting, entitled “Oprah With Meghan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special”, will air on March 7. Winfrey, 67, attended the wedding in 2018 and lives near them in Montecito, California.
Markle married Queen Elizabeth II’s grandson at Windsor Castle in May 2018. Her son Archie was born a year later.
On Valentine’s Day, the couple confirmed to Fox News that they are expecting their second child.
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Meghan Markle is expecting her second child.
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Markle and Harry moved away from real life full-time in March 2020, unhappy with the media scrutiny and the restrictions on their roles. They cited what they described as British media intrusions and racist attitudes towards the Duchess, who is African American.
It was agreed that the situation would be reviewed after one year. On February 19, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the couple will not return to royal duties and that Harry will give up his honorary military titles – a decision that makes the couple’s separation from the royal family formal and final.
The pair noted that “they will not return as working members of the Royal Family”.
A spokesman for the couple responded to suggestions that Markle and Harry were not dedicated to duty.
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry currently reside in California.
(AP)
“As evidenced by their work over the past year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain committed to their duties and services to the UK and around the world, and have offered their continued support to the organizations they have represented, regardless of their official role. “said the spokesman in a statement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.