Royal staff ‘frazzled and frustrated’ after being caught in middle of clash between palace and Sussexes on regular basis

‘I myself hadn’t come across stories of bullying,’ says royal expert

Staff working in the palace are said to have appeared  “frazzled” and “frustrated” after feeling caught between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and others within the royal institution, according to the author of Finding Freedom.

The book, published last July, detailed the couple’s departure from the royal family through a series of interviews with sources close to them.

Now, writer Omid Scobie, who said he spent “a lot” of time speaking to those who worked closely with Harry and Meghan, has explained that he saw people “frazzled and frustrated by being caught in the middle of the Sussexes and the institution on a regular basis”.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain, the royal expert added that he “hadn’t come across stories of bullying”.

The comment comes as reports have emerged claiming that a former member of Meghan’s staff had accused her of bullying in October 2018.

The Times reported that Meghan’s former press secretary, Jason Knauf, made a complaint against her related to two personal assistants and a third member of staff whose confidence she is alleged to have undermined.

A spokesperson for the Sussexes has responded to the claims, saying that Meghan has been the victim of “a calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation”.

Commenting further on the allegations, Mr Scobie said that an investigation is neccessary because “anyone’s experience, and what they share (of) their experience during employment ... needs to be heard”.

Mr Scobie went on to say that he does not know the contents of the upcoming interview between the Sussexes and Oprah Winfrey that is due to air in the US on Sunday.

“Of course, I have spoken to people close to the couple who, of course, have reacted to the accusations of bullying,” he added.

“I think there’s a sense of sadness in Team Sussex at the moment because, of course, a lot of these stories are so far removed from what the couple feel their experience was within the institution.”

Mr Scobie went on to say that there might be a discussion in the interview about the couple’s relationship with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

“I think people will be really surprised to hear more stories about that warm relationship on the interview with Oprah,” he said.

Mr Scobie went on to reference how, in the latest preview clip from Meghan and Harry’s interview with Oprah, Meghan refers to the Royal Family as “The Firm”.

The duchess used the term when she said: “I don’t know how they could expect that, after all of this time, we would still just be silent if there is an active role that the Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us.”

Many people took to social media after the clip aired to question what Meghan meant.

“You know, when Harry and Meghan talk about the firm or the institution, they’re not attacking the royal family,” Mr Scobie clarified.

“They’re talking about the machine of the monarchy, that’s what goes on behind the scenes, and I think any royal family member is able to distinguish the two.”