Let's start by looking at some of the specific allegations made against Meghan regarding her behavior towards staff. According to reports, Meghan drove out two personal assistants and undermined the confidence of a third Palace aide during her time as a Duchess. She is alleged to have subjected staff to humiliation, yelling, and screaming at them on multiple occasions, and treating them as if they were disposable. One staffer claims they were personally humiliated by Meghan and claimed she scolded them like a child.
Meghan has also been accused of nitpicking emails sent to her in the middle of the night, ridiculing ideas, and becoming upset if she didn't get an immediate response. According to two Royal aides, she played the victim when staff didn't do something she requested or when things went wrong. Perhaps one of the most damning allegations made was that a senior staffer in the Royal household raised concerns about how to handle Meghan's behavior and treatment of staff with one of Harry's top aides, but the aide reportedly dismissed the staffer's concerns as mere tattling.
If true, this suggests Meghan's alleged behaviors were known about by those closest to her and Harry, yet nothing appears to have been done to address them or curb the way she spoke to and treated staff. Many who have worked closely with the Royals say this kind of behavior would not be tolerated from any other member of the royal family, and such toxic ways of treating employees simply do not mesh with the Royal Family's values and the professional standards expected of them.
Buckingham Palace took the highly unusual move of launching an investigation into these allegations, which suggests they must have been sufficiently serious and credible to warrant official scrutiny. However, it's important to note that Meghan has strongly denied any wrongdoing and maintains she was the target of a calculated smear campaign. Her representatives said the claims of bullying were a calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation.
A spokesperson for her and Harry said the Duchess was saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself. Some key questions we could ask ourselves here are: Could these staff have ulterior motives for making these allegations? Did personal bitterness or resentment play a role given Meghan and Harry's very public exit from royal duties? On the other hand, why would Buckingham Palace feel the need to investigate if the allegations were entirely unfounded or trivial? And do the consistent themes emerging from multiple sources paint a credible pattern of behavior?
There are good arguments on both sides. Let's take a wider look at how Meghan's time as a senior working Royal seemed to play out. It's no secret that she and Harry faced immense pressures, unrealistic expectations, and racism from elements of the British tabloid press during this period. Public criticism of Meghan was often openly misogynistic and racially charged. This, without a doubt, took a significant personal toll on both Meghan and Harry's mental health.
However, there are also suggestions Meghan struggled with the rigid protocols and constraints of royal life. While she undoubtedly faced unfair treatment, reports claim she had little understanding or respect for long-standing Palace policies and procedures when she joined the royal family. Some say she tried to upend tradition and shake things up too quickly without allowing enough time to understand the institution she had married into. Arguments have been made that Meghan, as an American former actress unversed in all things royal until marrying Harry, found it difficult to adapt to her role in the inner workings of the royal household.
The culture shock, paired with intense media scrutiny, contributed greatly to tensions said to have developed between Meghan and senior Royals like Prince William and Kate Middleton during her short time as a working royal. By many accounts, it seemed a challenging role transition that left all parties dissatisfied and frustrated at times.
