AT LEAST 10 royal aides who worked for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are “queuing up” to help with the Palace’s bullying probe into the Duchess of Sussex.
The shock investigation, ordered by the Queen, will put claims Meghan “humiliated” female aides under the microscope, amid revelations she is said to have driven out two personal assistants.
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After the Palace issued a statement announcing the probe into claims Meg subjected staff to “emotional cruelty and manipulation”, further aides are lining up to share their experiences, reported the Mirror.
The former royal aides are prepared to offer their help in the bullying investigation after being reassured of confidentiality by the Palace.
Sources connected to the group of aides said they were all considered to be “hugely professional and proud of their efforts” while working at Kensington Palace.
One said: “A group of people are queuing up to be involved. They have been silent for too long and there is much to talk about.”
Senior royals are understood to be “dismayed” at reports that female staff had been reduced to tears, with one aide telling a colleague ahead of a row with Meghan: “I can’t stop shaking.”
Buckingham Palace has said it is “very concerned” by the bullying accusations, first reported in The Times.
Palace sources said the Queen was “completely right” to order the probe “in the face of new allegations”.
A palace spokesman told the Sun it had nothing further to add at this point.
It comes amid claims that:
- Meghan had ‘furious rows’ with palace aides over freebie designer clothes
- Meghan’s pal accused the palace of racism – and said the star ‘knew it would get ugly’ before the Oprah interview aired
- The Duchess ignored aides’ advice not to wear earrings gifted by the Saudi prince weeks after the murder of a journalist
- Furious palace sources said the allegations about Meghan are not a smear campaign – and branded her ‘disingenuous’
- Harry ‘spoke to his wife about her behaviour when talking to staff’ – even ‘gently admonishing her’ for the way she spoke to them
- The former actress ‘turned and hissed’ at a member of staff during a row in a Fiji market – leaving the employee ‘in tears’
The aides set to become involved worked for the couple in October 2018.
It was at that time that allegations about bullying were lodged by one of the couple’s most senior advisors, Jason Knauf, in an official complaint.
Mr Knauf, who worked as communications secretary to Harry and Meghan and now heads the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s charitable foundation, alleged: “I am very concerned that the duchess was able to bully two PAs out of the household in the past year. The treatment of [X] was totally unacceptable.
“The duchess seems intent on always having someone in her sights. She is bullying Y and seeking to undermine her confidence.
“We have had report after report from people who have witnessed unacceptable behaviour towards [Y].”
Palace sources told how the issue “was investigated” at the time but the aides named in an email by Knauf “chose not to proceed with the complaint” against their boss.
Meghan has strongly denied the truth of any of the bullying allegations.
In response to the reports, Meghan and Harry accused the Queen’s staff of orchestrating a “calculated smear campaign” ahead of their explosive two-hour interview with Oprah Winfrey, due to be aired in the US on Sunday night.
Just hours before the bombshell interview is due to be screened, Prince William and Kate Middleton will join a rare TV special with the Queen, it was announced earlier.
Buckingham Palace has this afternoon revealed some of the royals will unite for a celebration of the Commonwealth – and the show will screen hours before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s chat appears on US TV.
News William and Kate will feature on the programme was unveiled hours after the latest teaser clip of Meghan and Harry’s upcoming interview with Winfrey was released.
The palace also confirmed the Prince of Wales has recorded a message for the programme addressing “the universal devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic“.
The Queen, in an audio message, will pay tribute to the way in which communities across the “family of nations” have “come together” in response to the pandemic.
Meanwhile, it’s today been revealed that the Duke of Edinburgh underwent a ‘successful procedure for a pre-existing heart condition’.
He will remain in hospital for ‘treatment, rest and recuperation for a number of days’.
There’s been widespread condemnation that the explosive Meghan and Harry interview will air while Prince Philip remains unwell.
