Meghan Markle’s former aide breaks silence on ‘bullying’ allegations

A former senior Palace staffer has broken her silence on allegations the Duchess of Sussex “bullied” staff during her time as a royal.

A former aide of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s has appeared to confirm she was one of 10 palace employees who was interviewed over “bullying” allegations.

In a new interview with the Herald Sun, the late Queen’s former press secretary, Samantha Cohen, confirmed she had been part of the conversations undertaken as part of an investigation into bullying allegations levelled at Meghan, but did not elaborate.

However, Ms Cohen did allude to the Sussexes’ well-documented high staff turnover.

“I was only supposed to stay for six months but stayed for 18 – we couldn’t find a replacement for me and when we did we took them on tour to Africa with Harry and Meghan to show them the ropes but they left (quit) as well while in Africa,” she told the publication.

Cohen (centre) with Meghan and the late Queen in 2018. Picture: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

It emerged in 2021 that concerns had been raised three years earlier over the Duchess of Sussex’s treatment of staff, with a portion of a complaint by Harry and Meghan’s then-communications secretary, Jason Knauf, published by The Times.

In the document, sent to Prince William’s then-private secretary, Simon Case in 2018, Mr Knauf wrote that he was “very concerned that the Duchess was able to bully two PAs out of the household in the past year” and that “the treatment of X* was totally unacceptable.”

Cohen - seen here with Queen Elizabeth and Prince William - worked for the royal family for almost 20 years. Picture: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Bulling allegations made against Meghan surfaced in 2021. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Cohen, who served as Queen Elizabeth’s press secretary for 17 years and then as her assistant and private secretary, last worked within the palace for Harry and Meghan before quitting royal service altogether in 2019.

Meanwhile, the results of the investigation, which was revealed just days ahead of Harry and Meghan’s bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview, were never made public.

Representatives for the Duchess of Sussex hit back at the time, declaring the allegations were “being used by Buckingham Palace to peddle a wholly false narrative based on misleading and harmful misinformation.”