The British royal family, also known as The Firm, is a intricate network comprising the monarchy itself and its extensive staff. As highlighted in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Netflix docuseries, “Harry & Meghan,” the royal family is not always a unified front. The couple disclosed that each family member has their own team of aides, press personnel, and other individuals.
During a conversation with Netflix about the press offices of each royal family member, Harry shared, “I have 30 years’ experience of looking behind the curtain and seeing how this system works and how it runs […] Just constant briefings about other members of the family, about favors inviting the press in. It’s a dirty game,” (via Cosmopolitan). However, there might be a significant issue that could bring together palace officials and personnel.
As detailed in “Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival,” the 2023 tell-all by royal author Omid Scobie, certain royal aides allegedly harbor resentment towards Harry for stepping down from his official duties. Scobie described how staff members seized an opportunity when the prince returned to the U.K. for his grandmother’s funeral.
Some staff members were involved in a style sabotage
During Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September 2022, her children and grandchildren gathered for a silent vigil to pay their respects. Initially, it appeared that Prince Harry might be the odd one out, unable to wear his official military uniform after distancing himself from the royal family a couple of years earlier. Eventually, King Charles III relented, allowing Harry to wear the appropriate attire while standing vigil over his grandmother.
Regrettably, when the decorated military veteran arrived at Frogmore Cottage, his uniform was missing some essential elements. When the Duke of Sussex raised concerns about the lack of Her Majesty’s initials and an ornamental aiguillette, palace staffers allegedly denied him access to the items and refused to rectify his uniform. Scobie commented, “Some of these people are determined to make him [Harry] feel like s**t, determined to continue punishing him for leaving, it’s bullying,” (via The Mirror).
Harry emphasized that the queen would have wanted to see him in his uniform. Additionally, his disgraced uncle, Prince Andrew, was allowed to wear his uniform despite the swirling controversy around him. Royal insiders contested the bullying claims, with one source telling the Daily Mail: “The suggestion that [royal aides]were briefing negative stories [about Harry and Meghan]is totally fabricated.” According to the source, they wanted nothing more than to appease the Sussexes from the beginning.
Staffers argued that they were the real victims
In Tina Brown’s book, “The Palace Papers,” a palace staff member clarified, “When you move to a situation where you’ve got full-time members of staff who work for an institution — the palace — they’re employees, not contract people, they work within a policy framework,” (via Newsweek). Meghan Markle’s upbringing differed significantly from Prince Harry’s, possibly causing a rocky start when she entered royal life.
However, two palace aides claimed that bullying from the Duchess of Sussex was so severe that it forced them to resign. As reported by Page Six at the time, their allegations were formally submitted to human resources by Jason Knauf, the Sussexes’ palace communications secretary, in 2018. Knauf wrote, “The duchess seems intent on always having someone in her sights. She is bullying Y and seeking to undermine her confidence.”
In his revealing memoir, “Spare,” Harry insisted that these stories were entirely false and that there were deeper issues at play, stating simply, “Sides were taken. Team Cambridge versus Team Sussex,” (via Newsweek). While the divide is apparent, the true dynamics behind the palace doors will likely remain a mystery. With such speculation proving to be as lucrative as it is enduring, it’s improbable that the drama will fade away anytime soon.
