Meghan Markle accuses Buckingham Palace of perpetuating falsehoods. (FILE)
London:
Prince Harry’s wife Meghan accused Buckingham Palace of “perpetuating falsehoods” about her and her husband, saying the royal couple would not be silent in telling their story.
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, made the comments to US talk show host Oprah Winfrey in an interview about why they were quitting their royal roles that will be aired on US television on Sunday.
An excerpt of the interview was released on Wednesday, hours after Buckingham Palace said it was “very concerned” about reports in the Times newspaper that assistants working for Meghan two years ago had been bullied by her.
Harry and Meghan released a statement denying she had bullied anyone.
“How do you feel when the palace hears you speak your truth today?” Winfrey asks Meghan in the clip.
Meghan replied, “I don’t know how they could have expected that after all this time we would still just be quiet, if there is an active role The Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us.” The Firm is the name the British Royal Family sometimes uses to describe themselves.
“And if that comes with the risk of losing things, I mean, a lot has already been lost,” Meghan added.
The interview was recorded before The Times newspaper released a report citing unnamed sources who said an assistant to Harry and Meghan filed a complaint in October 2018 claiming that Meghan had reduced some of her assistants to tears and others treated so badly that they quit.
The newspaper said Harry had urged the assistant, who has now left their staff, to drop the complaint, and it never progressed.
The Times said it had been contacted by former staff who wanted public insight before the Winfrey interview aired – and that lawyers for the couple had labeled the allegations a defamation orchestrated by the palace.
Reuters was unable to independently verify the report.
“We are clearly very concerned about the allegations made in The Times following allegations made by former employees of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
The Royal Household “does not tolerate harassment or intimidation in the workplace,” it added.
It said its HR team would investigate the allegations and that members of the staff involved at the time would be invited to participate.
“DEADED BY ATTACK”
A spokeswoman for Meghan previously said she was “saddened by this latest assault on her character, especially as someone who has been the target of self-bullying and deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma.”
Meghan and Harry, who married in May 2018, relinquished their official duties in March last year to build new careers and a financially independent life in California.
That decision was confirmed last month, when they also transferred all of their royal patronages. They said their move was fueled in part by intense press break-ins.
However, Meghan had also previously indicated that she does not feel she has the full support of the royal family.
In court documents filed as part of her successful privacy action against the mass circulation of Mail on Sunday, her attorneys said she felt “unprotected” while pregnant with their son Archie.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV personnel and is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)