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Will the floodgates be opened?
Tom Bower, author of “Revenge: Meghan, Harry, and the War Between the Windsors,” believes more information about Meghan Markle’s alleged palace bullying will come to light now that a former aide has officially spoken out.
“I have no doubt that more will now emerge. The trickle of information will, soon enough, become a stream,” he wrote in an editorial for the Daily Mail, published Tuesday.
“That’s not to prejudge the matter or say what the verdict will be. But it’s very much to the Palace’s discredit that, whatever truth we arrive at, it should have to emerge in this painful and unsatisfactory way.”
Bower’s piece was published just over a week after Samantha Cohen, a loyal and longstanding former palace aide, confirmed in an interview with the Australian Herald-Sun that she was one of 10 staff members who were questioned about allegations that Markle bullied members of her staff.
Cohen – who had worked for Queen Elizabeth II for many years before her death in 2022 – recalled being asked by the late monarch to help Markle acclimatize into the royal family in 2017.
She noted in the interview that she allegedly stayed in the role for much longer than planned.
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“I was only supposed to stay for six months but stayed for 18,” Cohen explained. “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.”
Reports of bullying emerged days before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s explosive 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The Times of London reported that Markle, 42, allegedly reduced staff members to tears while she lived at Kensington Palace with Prince Harry, 39.
Markle reportedly denied that she had been critical, however, supposedly saying, “It’s not my job to coddle people,” per the outlet.
The alleged incidents were documented by the couple’s communications assistant at the time, royal advisor Jason Knauf.
“I am very concerned that the Duchess was able to bully two PAs out of the household in the past year. The treatment of X* was totally unacceptable,” the HR complaint read.
“The Duchess seems intent on always having someone in her sights. She is bullying Y and seeking to undermine her confidence. We have had report after report from people who have witnessed unacceptable behavior towards Y.”
He added, “I remain concerned that nothing will be done.”
The Palace later announced it would be launching an investigation but that the findings would not be released. At the time, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex also vigorously denied the claims and issued a strongly-worded statement.
“Let’s just call this what it is — a calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation,” the statement read.
“We are disappointed to see this defamatory portrayal of the Duchess of Sussex given credibility by a media outlet.”
In addition to Bower, another royal author recently detailed Cohen’s unhappy tenure with the royal couple.
According to Valentine Low’s book “Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind The Crown,” Cohen complained, behind the scenes, that she felt she’d been yelled at and “treated harshly,” even likening the job to “working with teenagers.”
