3 weeks ago
A erstwhile royal aide’s claims person formed a acheronian protector complete Meghan Markle’s latest business venture.
Samantha Cohen, who was a Buckingham Palace staffer astir 20 years, confirmed she was questioned during an investigation into claims of bullying made against nan Duchess of Sussex. Cohen, who said to the Australian newspaper nan Herald Sun, near successful 2019.
"Where there’s smoke, there’s fire," British royals master Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital. "There person been excessively galore examples of nan ‘Sussex Survivors Club’ for nan allegations not to beryllium true. … In contrast, not moreover one such study has ever been raised regarding Kate Middleton. Ask her family’s butcher from erstwhile she was a small girl growing up.
MEGHAN MARKLE LIFESTYLE BRAND LAUNCH WITH SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS SKEWERED BY ROYAL WATCHERS
Samantha Cohen (right) is seen present accompanying Meghan Markle successful 2018. She near her domiciled successful 2019. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
"She was [described] arsenic a polite small girl," Fordwich shared. "He was [later] invited to her wedding to Prince William successful Westminster Abbey. An astonishing way grounds indeed."
While Cohen didn’t straight speak astir nan investigation, she revealed the palace was incapable to find a replacement adjutant for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex owed to precocious unit turnover.
"I was only expected to enactment for six months but stayed for 18. We couldn’t find a replacement for me, and when we did, we took them connected circuit to Africa pinch Harry and Meghan to show them nan ropes, but they near (quit) arsenic good while successful Africa," she said.
Samantha Cohen attends nan royal wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry May 19, 2018, successful Windsor, England. (Pool/Max Mumby/Getty Images)
A typical for nan erstwhile American character didn't instantly respond to Fox News Digital's petition for comment.
Buckingham Palace launched nan investigation successful March 2021 aft reports alleged that Markle, 42, had driven retired 2 individual assistants and that unit had been "humiliated" connected respective occasions during her clip surviving successful Kensington Palace.
The claims were published by The Times of London, days earlier nan Duke and Duchess of Sussex sat down pinch Oprah Winfrey for their televised interview.
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Oprah Winfrey interviewed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for a typical successful 2021, and they revealed their struggles pinch royal life. (Harpo Productions/Joe Pugliese via Getty Images)
Markle’s lawyers denied nan bullying allegations erstwhile they were made. At nan time, a spokesperson for nan duchess said nan claims were conscionable nan "latest onslaught connected her character."
Cohen’s latest claims came shortly after nan erstwhile American character launched nan first merchandise from her manner brand, American Riviera Orchard.
On April 15, manner designer Tracy Robbins and Delfina Blaquier, a photographer and woman of polo prima Nacho Figueras, were among nan first to stock a photograph of nan brand’s first product, strawberry jam, connected Instagram.
Meghan Markle revealed her caller venture, American Rivera Orchard, connected nan brand's caller Instagram grid. (American Riviera Orchard Instagram)
Christopher Andersen, writer of "The King," told Fox News Digital the palace has much important things to beryllium concerned about, specified arsenic King Charles III and Middleton both battling cancer.
"Once again, we are near to effort and divine nan truth based connected leaks from nan palace and nan occasional nugget offered up by erstwhile labor of The Crown," Andersen explained. "The monarchy has ever been very secretive, and that continues. This codification of soundlessness regular has got to extremity since each it does is spawn gossip, rumors and chaotic conspiracy theories. We've seen this repeatedly. And it's each to nan monarchy's detriment.
"But why rehash this bullying business astatine all?" he continued. "It's fairly well established that location was a huge clash of cultures betwixt Meghan and nan monarchy, afloat stop. Meghan woefully miscalculated just how overmuch powerfulness complete her ain life she'd beryllium allowed to retain and really easy those wrong the palace can go flustered. Frankly, an offhand remark that would rotation disconnected nan backmost of an American tin nonstop immoderate of these royal hand-holders moving to nan loo successful tears.
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Meghan Markle, who starred successful nan ineligible play "Suits," became nan Duchess of Sussex erstwhile she joined Britain's Prince Harry. (Andrew Milligan/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
"They are accustomed to getting their own way and not having their authority questioned. There was plentifulness of blame to go around and tons of bruised feelings connected some sides. But I think most of it could beryllium chalked up to Meghan's naïveté and the palace's hidebound intransigence."
In June 2023, Buckingham Palace announced it had investigated really nan staff had handled allegations of bullying made against nan erstwhile "Suits" star.
According to palace officials, nan specifications of nan independent reappraisal were not being released to protect nan confidentiality of those who took part. Following nan review, officials said the palace’s human resources argumentation had been updated, but the palace declined to opportunity what nan changes were.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex unrecorded successful California pinch boy Prince Archie and girl Princess Lilibet. (Victoria Jones/AFP via Getty Images)
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have seemingly chosen to support calm and carry on. People mag reported that Charlie Gipson and Kyle Boulia have joined nan mates arsenic communications executives. Gipson, who is based in nan U.K., will service arsenic a constituent interaction for European media outlets.
Miranda Barbot, nan couple’s rep, has been promoted to the domiciled of vice president of programs and media operations, nan outlet revealed.
"This is simply a smart, albeit overdue, move for Meghan and Harry," Doug Eldridge, an agent, celeb branding and trading expert and the laminitis of Achilles PR, told Fox News Digital.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle person added 2 caller group to their office. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
"It's not conscionable that Meghan wasn't generating affirmative sum and publicity. It's that she was consistently connected nan receiving extremity of incessantly antagonistic coverage, which tends to person a compounding effect, for illustration interest," he explained. "Her caller comms squad will first request to extremity nan antagonistic inclination statement of coverage; get backmost to zero, past statesman building into nan positive.
"It's akin to taking complete a erstwhile profitable company, which was horribly mismanaged and has crippling debt. You must put a tourniquet connected nan bleeding, salvage nan limbs and only past … can you commencement nan affirmative rehabilitation process. This is much analyzable and time-consuming than you mightiness imagine."
"Harry and Meghan aren't astir to place nan European marketplace for their caller manner brand," Andersen said. "It makes cleanable consciousness that they would prosecute personification pinch acquisition based successful nan U.K. to grip each that. … Harry and Meghan are still mega-celebrities, and, as such, have nan media clout to hype their wares abroad."
Private caput Samantha Cohen during Prince Harry and Meghan's sojourn to Nyanga Township Sept. 23, 2019, successful Cape Town, South Africa. (Karwai Tang/WireImage)
"I, for one, americium still waiting to spot really overmuch they're going to complaint for their jams and jellies," Andersen added.
It’s unclear if much ex-aides will travel guardant pinch their alleged accounts of moving for nan duchess. Royal master Tom Bower wrote successful nan Daily Mail, "I person nary uncertainty that much will now emerge. The trickle of accusation will, soon enough, go a stream."
Valentine Low, writer of "Courtiers: Intrigue, Ambition, and nan Power Players Behind nan House of Windsor," was nan newsman who collapsed nan communicative astir palace aides alleging they were bullied by nan Duchess of Sussex earlier nan mates made their exit successful 2020.
MEGHAN MARKLE'S FORMER AIDE BREAKS SILENCE ON PAST STAFFERS' BULLYING CLAIMS MADE AGAINST DUCHESS OF SUSSEX
A spokesperson for Meghan Markle denied nan bullying allegations. (Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
According to Low’s book, 1 root alleged that moving pinch nan Sussexes was "like moving for a mates of teenagers."
"That’s what they were like," Low antecedently claimed to Fox News Digital. "They were kind of stubborn. They were difficult. They were uncontrollable and incredibly willful. You look at all nan things that Meghan and Harry did – for instance, backstage jets.
"There was a clip during nan summertime of 2019 erstwhile they took respective jets successful a short space of time," Low said. "And this was contempt each nan proposal they were given. You know, ‘Don’t do that because you’ve been lecturing nan world astir redeeming nan environment, and past you’re connected a backstage jet.’ Which was truthful bad successful position of c emissions. But they wouldn’t perceive to reason. And, of course, erstwhile nan media recovered retired astir it, Harry sewage severely criticized. But they were conscionable difficult to woody with."
Britain's Prince Harry and woman Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, buss arsenic she presents his polo squad pinch nan trophy for winning nan 2024 Royal Salute Polo Challenge to Benefit Sentebale April 12, 2024, successful Wellington, Fla. (AP Images)
Another erstwhile palace insider alleged to Low that Markle "thought she was going to beryllium nan Beyoncé of nan U.K." aft marrying Harry, 39.
"I deliberation they felt she wanted nan stardom, she wanted nan adulation," said Low.
He alleged that she was "less willing successful cutting ribbons, opening hospitals and doing each nan frankly boring things that members of nan royal family often person to do."
"[But] she liked nan stardom," he claimed. "She liked nan attention."
MEGHAN MARKLE, PRINCE HARRY PONDER POLITICS, DARE TO 'VOICE OPINIONS' ON WORLD STAGE: EXPERT
Valentine Low antecedently told Fox News Digital he was sticking by his report. (Irsty O'Connor/Pool/AFP )
Reps for nan Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital’s petition for remark astatine nan clip astir Low’s book. A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace antecedently told Fox News Digital they mostly do not remark "on specified books."
Fox News Digital's Christina Dugan Ramirez and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Stephanie Nolasco covers intermezo astatine Foxnews.com.
