The Duchess of Sussex is “saddened” by a report that claims she faced a bullying complaint during her time at Kensington Palace, her spokesman said.
The Times reported that a complaint was made in October 2018 by Jason Knauf, then the Sussexes’ communications secretary, which alleged that Meghan had driven two personal assistants out of the household and was undermining the confidence of a third staff member.
Her spokesman said: “The duchess is saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself and is deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma.
“She is determined to continue her work building compassion around the world and will keep striving to set an example for doing what is right and doing what is good.”
Buckingham Palace did not comment and no one from Kensington Palace was available for comment on Tuesday night.
The report comes just days before Meghan and Harry’s interview with Oprah Winfrey is due to be aired. The CBS two-hour special will be screened on Sunday in the US and is expected to be shown in the UK on 8 March.
The royal household will be braced for revelations from the conversation, which is being trailed as “intimate” and “wide-ranging”, as the couple discuss their life within the royal family and their exit from senior working roles in the monarchy.
The bulk of the programme will be a conversation between Winfrey and Meghan; Harry is expected to join only for a concluding, future-oriented segment.
The interview comes as Harry’s grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, is sick in hospital in London. Philip, 99, spent nearly two weeks in the private King Edward VII’s hospital before being transferred to St Bartholomew’s hospital on Monday for tests on a pre-existing heart condition.