PALACE PROBE
‘I can’t stop shaking’ said royal aide as biographer claims more Meghan Markle palace ‘bullying’ bombshells will emerge
Tom Bower shared Harry's 'reaction' to the claims
A ROYAL expert has claimed more information about Meghan Markle’s alleged bullying will be exposed now that a former aide has officially spoken out.
Samantha Cohen confirmed to the Australian Herald Sun that she was one of 10 aides interviewed by the palace after a bullying complaint was raised against Meghan.
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The shock investigation, ordered by the late Queen, came after claims Meghan "humiliated" female aides and drove them to quit.
The Duchess strongly denies the claims.
Royal author Tom Bower wrote in the : “The trickle of information will, soon enough, become a stream.
“Until a few days ago, Ms. Cohen and fellow palace staff had remained silent. Now, finally, that dam has been breached — and I have no doubt that more will now emerge.”
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Communications secretary Jason Knauf was the royal staffer who reportedly submitted a bullying complaint to protect palace aides who were allegedly coming under pressure from the Duchess.
Three female staff members claimed that Meghan was “bullying” them, and, according to leaked email correspondence, Jason alleged to human resources that the Duchess of Sussex had bullied two PAs “out of the household.”
One staffer allegedly told Jason that her encounters with Meghan made her “feel sick.”
Another unnamed staff member is said to have told him “I can’t stop shaking” and “I feel terrified.”
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A rep for Meghan at the time denied claims and stated it was the “latest attack on her character.”
Meghan Markle snapped ‘it’s not my job to coddle people’ after aides ‘left in tears
Speaking of the Duke of Sussex’s reaction, Tom claimed: “Harry was outraged — but the accusations, whether justified or not, were a matter of fact. So was a certain level of staff turnover.”
The final report by the palace was kept private to protect those involved.
Samantha worked with Her Majesty for 17 years as her press secretary and then as her assistant private secretary, but in 2017 was tasked with getting Meghan ready for royal life.
By request of the Queen, she was appointed as private secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
However, it wasn’t to last with Samantha starting the role in 2018 and handing in her notice in October 2019.
What are the Meghan Markle bullying claims?
SOURCES alleged to The Times that Meghan drove two personal assistants out of the household and undermined the confidence of a third.
The Duchess of Sussex is even said to have snapped "it's not my job to coddle people" after aides were left in tears and humiliated by her "difficult demands".
The Times' report further claimed Meghan "humiliated" at least one ex-staffer while another said the Duchess' behaviour felt “more like emotional cruelty and manipulation…"
In an unprecedented move the Palace released a statement saying they were "very concerned" at claims the Duchess bullied staff.
The bombshell statement said: "We are clearly very concerned about allegations in following claims made by former staff of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
"Accordingly our HR team will look into the circumstances outlined in the article."
She told the America Herald Sun that she stayed longer than she had planned, revealing: “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 as well while in Africa.”
She left the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to work for eco-charity Cool Earth, joining as co-chair of the board of trustees.
According to Valentine Low’s book, Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown, this was because she was allegedly “treated harshly” and likened the job to “working with teenagers”.
Until a few days ago, Ms. Cohen and fellow palace staff had remained silent. Now, finally, that dam has been breached — and I have no doubt that more will now emerge
Tom Bower
Despite Samantha leaving, Meghan and Harry later rehired her to front crucial Megxit negotiations with the Queen about their future.
A royal insider revealed: “It was a no brainer for Harry to bring back Samantha. They have a close working relationship and he knows how much the Queen respects her.”
READ MORE SUN STORIES
In September 2018, Meghan’s former PA Melissa Touabti left after six months amid reports she had been “reduced to tears” by Meghan’s demands.
Senior comms secretary Katrina McKeever also quit the press team in September.
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