Meghan Markle experienced an emotional moment following the palace’s move to protect Prince William at Prince Harry’s expense. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back from their duties as senior royals in 2020, following a whirlwind year as a married couple. While their royal phase post-marriage was occupied by royal engagements, controversial headlines, and the birth of their son, the duo reportedly battled inside demons as well, within the royal confines. One such battle, which pervades the media to date is the royal family bullying scandal.
During her brief stint as a working royal, the Duchess faced allegations from palace staffers claiming she bullied and intimidated them. The allegations also suggested Meghan Markle instilled fear in her palace aides, most of whom were forced to quit after having it to their necks. As a result, finding replacement also proved difficult. Although these allegations prevailed for months, coupled with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s constant brawls with the paps, the palace scarcely intervened. Rather, they maintained the royal family’s “no-comment policy” even in the face of “False” tabloid stories.
Meghan Markle Left Emotional After Palace Squash Prince William Bullying Claims
The Sussexes reportedly reached breaking point when the palace broke their protocol once Prince William became subject to the same negative press they faced for years. In the fifth episode of the Netflix docuseries Harry and Meghan, the Duke of Sussex claimed the royal family’s biased reaction to protect Prince William left Meghan Markle in tears. He recounted,
“A story came out that part of the reason why Meghan and I were leaving was because William had bullied us out… And once I got in the car after the meeting, 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.”
Prince Harry admitted the revelation left him in disbelief, especially as no one asked his permission before releasing the statement in his name. He recalled calling his wife afterward to notify her of the situation, leading to her emotional outburst. Harry divulged,
“I rang [Meghan] and I told her and she burst into floods of tears because within four hours they were happy to lie to protect my brother and yet for three years, they were never willing to tell the truth to protect us.”
The 39-year-old also alleged that the palace drove a wedge between him and his brother. Understandably, Prince William took “the institution’s side,” knowing as future king, he had a responsibility to ensure “the survivability and the continuation of this institution,” Harry pointed out.
Related:
What Kate Middleton’s Wimbledon Appearance Says About Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: ‘Never Forget’On the other hand, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle continued dealing with the press, and allegations from palace staff, unaided. Earlier this year, leaked Kensington Palace email correspondence showed claims from staffers accusing Harry and Meghan of bullying them out of the household and creating an unbearable work environment. Although Meghan’s party continues to deny these claims, with the royal family’s reserved silence on the issue, it’s the Sussexes’ word against theirs.