In the report, sources alleged that Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan’s former communications secretary, Jason Knauf, contacted human resources about the Duchess of Sussex in October 2018 to protect staffers who he claimed she made cry. Knauf reportedly accused Duchess Meghan of driving two personal assistants to quit and “undermined the confidence” of a third staffer. The report also claims that Prince Harry begged Knauf not to proceed with the complaint. In an email Knauf reportedly sent to Prince William’s private secretary, Simon Case, he wrote, “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 [sic] towards Y.” Another source quoted in the piece said that Duchess Meghan’s alleged behavior was “more like emotional cruelty and manipulation, which I guess could also be called bullying.” Attorneys for Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry vehemently denied that any meeting took place between Knauf and Harry, noting that the Duke would never interfere with staff affairs. A representative for Duchess Meghan said in a statement that the timing of the report—just days before her sitdown withOprah Winfrey is set to air—was quite deliberate. “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,” the statement read. “It’s no coincidence that distorted several-year-old accusations aimed at undermining The Duchess are being briefed to the British media shortly before she and The Duke are due to speak openly and honestly about their experience of recent years.” The statement continued, “The Duchess is saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself and is deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma. She is determined to continue her work building compassion around the world and will keep striving to set an example for doing what is right and doing what is good.” The Times report comes shortly after Buckingham Palace announced that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex won’t return to work as senior royals after moving to Montecito, Calif., because “it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service.” The Sussexes, who are expecting their second child, responded in their own statement, “We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.” In his Carpool Karaoke segment with James Corden, Prince Harry reaffirmed that he’ll always love his family and that he and Duchess Meghan saw the move as “stepping back,” not stepping down, from a “difficult environment” for the preservation of their own mental health after years of bullying from the British tabloid press. Next, get all the details on the royal rift from Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family.
