Buckingham Palace has hired the services of an external law firm to investigate claims that Meghan Markle bullied a royal staffer.
In an initial statement released after trailers of Meghan and Prince Harry’s interview with Oprah Winfrey were aired, the Palace said it would investigate the claims of bullying made by the British media.
The British media report published earlier this month cited unnamed royal aides as saying a complaint had been made against Meghan in 2018.
According to CNN, the palace has now hired a law firm to investigate these claims.
A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said on Monday, March 15: “Our commitment to look into the circumstances around allegations from former staff of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex is being taken forward but we will not be providing a public commentary on it.”
Harry and Meghan did not comment on Monday, but a spokesperson for the couple previously dismissed bullying accusations as “defamatory.”
The Spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said: “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.”
Meanwhile, Meghan is fighting back against allegations of bullying.
The Duchess of Sussex has reportedly written to ask that Buckingham Palace share with her any evidence turned up in its investigation into claims she bullied members of the royal staff.
According to a report from the Daily Mail, Meghan “has written to Buckingham Palace demanding to see any documents, emails or text messages relating to the bullying complaint against her.”
A senior Palace source told the publication that Meghan’s office has “written to request the evidence” from the royals.
Meghan’s request has reportedly been passed on to Prince Charles, whose “closest aides are now conducting a search of files,” according to Daily Mail.
The investigation comes after a Times of London article, published on March 2, that alleged Meghan bullied members of the royal staff during her time at Kensington Palace with Prince Harry.
After the article was published, Buckingham Palace pledged in a statement to look into the claims against Meghan.
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 royal family has now hired an independent law firm to conduct the investigation, according to a report from The Sun.
