The Duchess of Sussex has said Buckingham Palace could not expect her and Prince Harry to be silent if it was “perpetuating falsehoods about us”.
In a clip of Oprah Winfrey’s interview with the couple, Meghan had been asked how she felt about the palace hearing her “speak your truth today”.
Meghan also said: “If that comes with the risk of losing things, I mean… there is a lot that has been lost already.”
Buckingham Palace is investigating claims the duchess bullied royal staff.
The allegations of bullying leveled at Meghan were published after the interview with Winfrey was recorded.
The interview with Winfrey, which will air in the US on Sunday and in the UK on Monday, is expected to detail Harry and Meghan’s short period as working royals together before they stepped down for a life in the US.
In the 30-second teaser clip released by CBS, Winfrey asks the duchess: “How do you feel about the palace hearing you speak your truth today?”
Meghan replies: “I don’t know how they could expect that, after all of this time, we would still just be silent if there is an active role that The Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex quit their roles as senior working royals in March 2020, and now live in California.
A report in the Times newspaper on Wednesday claimed the duchess faced a complaint when she was a working royal.
According to the story, it was made in October 2018, while the duke and duchess were living at Kensington Palace after their marriage in May of that year.
A leaked email sent from a staff member, which was published by the newspaper, alleges that Meghan drove two personal assistants out of the household. The report claims she undermined the confidence of a third member of staff.
In a statement later, Buckingham Palace – which is responsible for the hiring of royal staff – said it was “clearly very concerned about allegations in the Times” and its HR team would look into the circumstances outlined in the article.
“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.”
If anyone thought Prince Harry and Meghan were going to restrict their criticism to the British media, a sector they have made clear they loathe, they should think again. “The Firm” – aka the Royal Family and its staff- is clearly in their sights.
This isn’t directly about the allegations of bullying leveled at Meghan, and also to a lesser degree Harry. They were published after the interview was recorded. But the couple sees the allegations as an example of how some people in the palace brief against them.
We’ll have to wait for the interview to find out exactly what “falsehoods” the couple believe have been put out by the palace. The bullying allegations – which are vigorously denied by the couple – are being investigated.
But it’s clear that the gloves have come off, and that the ties of the family have not restrained the couple as they seek to put their side of the story.
Source: bbc.com
