‘I can’t stop shaking’: More Meghan Markle palace ‘bullying’ bombshells will emerge, royal expert says
A royal storm is brewing.
Royal expert Tom Bower, author of “Revenge: Meghan, Harry, and the War Between the Windsors,” believes more information about Meghan Markle’s alleged bullying will come to light now that a former aide has officially spoken out.
“The trickle of information will, soon enough, become a stream,” he wrote in an editorial for the Daily Mail, published Tuesday.
Bower’s statement comes one week after former palace aide Samantha Cohen confirmed in an interview with the Australian Herald Sun that she was one of 10 staffers who were questioned about allegations that Markle, 42, “bullied” staffers during her time in the palace.
In 2017, Cohen, who had previously worked for Queen Elizabeth, was tasked with getting Markle ready for the royal family.
Bower wrote on Tuesday, “Certainly, I believe that Ms. Cohen was soon exasperated, within six months or so, and that Meghan either disagreed with, or failed to understand, the non-negotiable elements of royalty. I also believe that members of Samantha Cohen’s team viewed this as an irresponsible self-indulgence. Both sides would blame a clash of cultures.”
Cohen, who resigned in 2018, said that staff felt they were “treated harshly” and compared her former job to “working with teenagers,” according to “Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown” by Valentine Low.
Cohen told the Herald Sun that she stayed longer than planned.
“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 as well while in Africa.”
The Times reported in 2020 that communications secretary Jason Knauf put together a file after three female staffers alleged that Markle was “bullying” them.
In email correspondences, Knauf alleged to the palace’s human resources department that Meghan bullied two PAs “out of the household.”
As reported by Bower, one staffer allegedly told Knauf that her encounters with Markle made her “feel sick,” while other unnamed staffers allegedly told him, “I can’t stop shaking” and “I feel terrified.”
At the time that this report came out, reps for Markle denied the claims, and stated that they were the “latest attack on her character.”
Bower noted, “The final report by the Palace was kept private to protect those taking part, but there is no doubt that there was a growing mood of concern — or that the row was becoming personal.”
In his book “Revenge,” he also noted that Prince William allegedly told Harry that Markle’s behavior was “unacceptable.”
“Harry was outraged — but the accusations, whether justified or not, were a matter of fact. So was a certain level of staff turnover,” Bower alleged.
He also cited several palace staffers that resigned, including Katrina McKeever, a member of Kate Middletown’s communications team, and Melissa Toubati, a personal assistant who alleged that Markle had “unattainably precise demands.”
Reports of Markle’s alleged “bullying” first came out shortly before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The Times of London reported that Markle allegedly reduced staff members to tears while she lived at Kensington Palace with Prince Harry, 39.
Markle reportedly denied that she had been critical, however, supposedly saying, “It’s not my job to coddle people,” per the outlet.
In his article published on Tuesday, Bower concluded, “Until a few days ago, Ms. Cohen and fellow palace staff had remained silent. Now, finally, that dam has been breached — and I have no doubt that more will now emerge.”