Meghan Markle's former aide opens up on bullying claims after palace launch investigation

A former aide for Meghan Markle has spoken out about bullying claims involving the Duchess of Sussex. It comes after a probe was launched by Buckingham Palace into staffer Samantha Cohen’s allegations.

Samantha has confirmed she is one of a group of 10 employees who were interviewed as part of a 2021 investigation. They were made up of past and present workers who were requested to speak in confidence about working under the former actress at the time.

Meghan was accused of being responsible for a “hostile work environment” for staff. Samantha was Meghan’s private secretary in 2021, having worked for the Royal Family since 2001, as writes The Mirror. Samantha opened up about her employment to the Herald Sun on Monday: “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 (quit) as well while in Africa."

The Mirror has contacted Meghan’s reps for comment. Allegations against Meghan were made public in the days that followed her and Prince Harry’s 2021 bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey. During the chat with the US talk show legend, Meghan claimed she was finding life as part of ‘the Firm’ to be “almost unsurvivable”. The investigation was launched after allegations that Meghan had driven out two personal assistants through her behaviour and had left staff “humiliated” on more than one occasion.

The duchess denied the allegations but in 2022 it was revealed that the findings of the probe would not be featured in a Sovereign Grant report. Buckingham Palace said at the time that there would be "changes made" and there had been "lessons learned" - but there would be no further details to protect the confidentiality of those who took part in the independent review.

Royal editor and author Duncan Larcomb said he believed the real reason there were no further updates was because the Palace didn't want further issues with Harry and Meghan.

He told True Royalty TV's The Royal Beat: "For [Jason Knauf, the Sussexes’ former communications chief] to take that risk of reporting to Prince William concerns he had about his staff and the treatment of them at the hands of one of the members of the Royal Family - within the Queen’s reign this is absolutely unprecedented.

"I think the reason they are not publishing any of this is that the Palace is running scared of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. I think they know that if they publish the report, the next thing that will happen potentially is for Harry and Meghan to play the victim and go on Oprah. This is an olive branch or an avoidance of war," Larcombe added.

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