Timing and Palace Concerns
The allegations surfaced just days before Meghan’s high-profile Oprah interview, in which she claimed she was bullied by the Palace and said Princess Catherine had made her cry.
According to royal author Andrew Lownie, the report was withheld out of concern that it could lead to further scrutiny over Prince Andrew’s own alleged 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,” Lownie wrote in his new biography on the Yorks.
Claims of Prince Andrew’s Staff Treatment
Lownie alleges that Meghan’s conduct was minor compared to Andrew’s reported mistreatment of staff, which ranged from intimidating to unusual.
One aide was said to have been reduced to tears after being “bawled at” in a pre-dawn phone call over a newspaper article. Another staff member was reassigned because Andrew “disliked a mole on the man’s face,” and a different employee was moved simply because “the man was wearing a nylon tie.”
A Harsh Spotlight on the Yorks
The biography delves into both Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s public and private lives. Lownie told SkyNews.com.au earlier this year, “There’s a lot that’s going to shock people, I’ve spoken to about 100 people who have never spoken before.”
The author describes the Yorks as “role-less” and focused on sustaining the “high life” through wealthy associates and questionable contacts, often 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.
