Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have left the royal life behind them — well, for the most part. Since leaving the United Kingdom to start new lives in the United States, Harry and Meghan continue to deal with remnants of their royal responsibilities and the media scrutiny they engender.
Meghan remains significantly impacted by a bullying scandal that unfolded during her brief time as a working duchess. Recently-uncovered emails from Kensington Palace reveal the extent of the allegations against Meghan — and what her in-laws, including Prince William, did about them.
Meghan brought to tears
Staffers at Kensington Palace — a longtime royal residence — alleged beginning in 2018 that Meghan bullied and intimidated aides. They claimed Meghan targeted female staffers and created a culture of fear — allegations that Meghan has firmly denied.
“Let’s just call this what it is — a calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation,” a 2021 statement from the Duchess’ spokesperson read.
Meghan and Harry were left frustrated by the royal family’s inability to control the situation. In an episode of the 2022 Netflix docuseries “Harry & Meghan,” Harry explained that his brother William left them out to dry by failing to protect them from the media firestorm — and, possibly, by lying to the media about it all.
“I was told about a joint statement that had been put out in my name and my brother’s name squashing the story about him bullying us out of the family,” Harry said. “I couldn’t believe it. No one had asked me permission to put my name to a statement like that.”
Harry said that Meghan “burst into tears” at the realization that she was being left to fend for herself — and that for years, the royal family “were never willing to tell the truth to protect us,” according to Harry.
The revelations surely will not bring Harry or William closer together, making it clear that there remains a significant divide between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex with respect to the other members of House Windsor, across the Atlantic.
