‘It would raise questions': Palace allegedly buried Meghan Markle ‘bullying' report to protect Prince Andrew
Markle, 44, has faced unsubstantiated claims of alleged unprofessionalism and rapid staff turnover dating back to her brief stint as a working royal.
Meghan moved into the grounds of Kensington Palace ahead of her engagement to Prince Harry in 2017 and lived in several royal residences before the Sussexes left for California in 2020.
Buckingham Palace launched an investigation in March 2021 following historical allegations that Markle had driven out two personal assistants and that staff had been "humiliated" on several occasions during her time living in Kensington Palace.
However, the report on that investigation never saw the light of day - even though allegations about the Duchess of Sussex's staff treatment have continued to dog the former working royal.
Ironically, the bullying allegations emerged just days before the Oprah sit-down, in which Meghan herself said she was bullied by the Palace and that her sister-in-law Princess Catherine made her cry.
According to royal author Andrew Lownie, the Markle report was never released because of fears it would open a pandora's box about Prince Andrew's behaviour towards staff.
'Some say a report on bullying accusations against Meghan Markle has never been released because it would also raise questions about the behaviour of the Queen's second son,' Mr Lownie wrote in a new biography on the Yorks.
According to Mr Lownie, Markle's antics were nothing compared to Prince Andrew's alleged mistreatment of staff, which ranged from terror-inducing to bizarre.
One former aide to Andrew was allegedly reduced to tears after being "bawled at" in a phone call before dawn because Andrew was unhappy with a story in the Sun newspaper.
A member of staff was allegedly moved to other duties because Andrew 'disliked a mole on the man's face', and another moved 'because the man was wearing a nylon tie'.
The new Lownie book shines a harsh spotlight on both Andrew's public and private life as well as that of his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
'There's a lot that's going to shock people, I've spoken to about 100 people who have never spoken before,' Mr Lownie told SkyNews.com.au earlier this year.
The respected royal author characterised the Yorks as 'role-less' and preoccupied with maintaining the 'high life' through wealthy friends and shadowy acquaintances, mostly from the Middle East and Central Asia.
'They're both role-less, except in terms of they like making money and living the high life, I suppose that gives them a purpose,' he said.
Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York will be published by HarperCollins on 14 August 2025.
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Sky News AU
16 hours ago
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‘It would raise questions': Palace allegedly buried Meghan Markle ‘bullying' report to protect Prince Andrew
An investigation into allegations Meghan Markle 'bullied' courtiers was buried by palace staff to protect Prince Andrew, an insider has claimed. Markle, 44, has faced unsubstantiated claims of alleged unprofessionalism and rapid staff turnover dating back to her brief stint as a working royal. Meghan moved into the grounds of Kensington Palace ahead of her engagement to Prince Harry in 2017 and lived in several royal residences before the Sussexes left for California in 2020. Buckingham Palace launched an investigation in March 2021 following historical allegations that Markle had driven out two personal assistants and that staff had been "humiliated" on several occasions during her time living in Kensington Palace. However, the report on that investigation never saw the light of day - even though allegations about the Duchess of Sussex's staff treatment have continued to dog the former working royal. Ironically, the bullying allegations emerged just days before the Oprah sit-down, in which Meghan herself said she was bullied by the Palace and that her sister-in-law Princess Catherine made her cry. According to royal author Andrew Lownie, the Markle report was never released because of fears it would open a pandora's box about Prince Andrew's behaviour towards staff. 'Some say a report on bullying accusations against Meghan Markle has never been released because it would also raise questions about the behaviour of the Queen's second son,' Mr Lownie wrote in a new biography on the Yorks. According to Mr Lownie, Markle's antics were nothing compared to Prince Andrew's alleged mistreatment of staff, which ranged from terror-inducing to bizarre. One former aide to Andrew was allegedly reduced to tears after being "bawled at" in a phone call before dawn because Andrew was unhappy with a story in the Sun newspaper. A member of staff was allegedly moved to other duties because Andrew 'disliked a mole on the man's face', and another moved 'because the man was wearing a nylon tie'. The new Lownie book shines a harsh spotlight on both Andrew's public and private life as well as that of his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. 'There's a lot that's going to shock people, I've spoken to about 100 people who have never spoken before,' Mr Lownie told earlier this year. The respected royal author characterised the Yorks as 'role-less' and preoccupied with maintaining the 'high life' through wealthy friends and shadowy acquaintances, mostly from the Middle East and Central Asia. 'They're both role-less, except in terms of they like making money and living the high life, I suppose that gives them a purpose,' he said. Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York will be published by HarperCollins on 14 August 2025.
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