Meghan May Be Headed for a ‘Showdown’ With the Palace After Claims She ‘Bullied’ Her Staff

There may be a reason to expect a “showdown” between Meghan Markle and the Palace over their response to bullying accusations that were previously launched against the Duchess of Sussex in March, according to a new report.

As some may recall, Meghan, 39, was accused of bullying some of her former staffers prior to her royal exit with her husband Prince Harry, 36. Reports cited a 2018 harassment complaint filed by the Sussexes’ communications assistant, Jason Knauf, along with sources who claimed that Meghan “bullied” some staffers to the “point of tears,” in statements to The Times of London.

Notably, the accusations came just weeks ahead of the couple’s scheduled tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey on CBS in March 2021, where they opened up for the first time since announcing their decision to step back from their roles as senior working members of the royal family in 2020.

While a spokesperson for the Sussexes denied all claims of bullying and chalked the accusations up to a “calculated smear campaign” ahead of their tell-all special, Buckingham Palace still launched a formal investigation into the allegations in March—the results of which were expected to be determined by June. However, on June 20, The Times revealed the Palace’s verdict could be delayed until 2022. The following day, sources told The Mirror that the ongoing investigation may lead Meghan toward a “brutal showdown” with Buckingham Palace.

The British newspaper reports that Meghan has requested a “point-by-point” breakdown of the accusations lobbied against her. “The feeling is this is heading for a brutal showdown between [the palace and] the Duchess of Sussex, who is understood to be disputing all allegations labeled against her,” an insider told the paper. “The palace is taking each and every allegation very seriously and wants to get to the truth of the matter and ensure those speaking up deserve to be heard.”

The source continued, claiming that Meghan “is adamant the staff were not up to their job and could not deal with the pressure of working for her and understanding how she wanted things to run.” Meanwhile, The Mirror reports there are “at least 10” former staffers lined up who have agreed to participate in the independent investigation after it was set up through a private law firm amid the initial claims. For now, of course, we’ll just have to wait and see how this unfolds.