Palace appoints external lawyers to probe MM bullying...

[Sprining]

Last week, in the lead up to Meghan and Harry’s eagerly anticipated Oprah interview, Palace sources were quoted as saying that the Palace was “prepared to retaliate with fresh disclosures about the couple’s behaviour if the monarchy is attacked”.

Great, so what next

External lawyers to probe bullying by other royals?
External lawyers to probe racism within RF?
External lawyers to probe whether there was disability discrimination in denying support for mental health?
External lawyers to problem Andrews behaviour and whether it broke public code of conduct (not criminal investigation, but did he bring us into disrepute type of stuff)?

Is this a vendetta or is RF finally going to be be subject to public accountability?

@thecognoscenti

I think they're doing the only thing they can. If they ignored it that wouldn't look great. If they used their existing lawyers there would be accusations of bias. Surely getting someone independent is the sensible approach.

Yes this is my thoughts, if the palace investigated itself, there would be claims of bias. Surely this also takes some of the emotion out of it, and allows an independent source to review the info/evidence? Seems the best way forward.

@Sprining

“Apparently she is 'demanding' access to BP emails etc! Who the hell does she think she is?”

I presume to defend herself...or is she not allowed to do that?

Didn't she state in her court case that palace emails were routinely deleted? That's why she couldn't gain evidence to prove/disprove her letter couldn't have been accessed in other ways?

@Sprining

And aren’t these actions by the RF a form of bullying against MM?

Singling her out when others in the family could be investigated for the same and worse.

Especially when she is pregnant after a miscarriage. If they’re waited 2 years, surely they could wait a few more months and do it as whole-scale investigation of RF employment and HR procedures?

Why should they wait. Harry and megan didn't wait till prince Philip was out of hospital to give their tell all interview or consider his grandma who is probabaly already under enough stress with a very poorly husband.

The timing is really off though. Why not wait until she delivers the royal baby?

Why not hold off on dropping allegations of racism until your 99 year old grandfather is out of hospital?

“Everybody can get access for themselves via the FOI act. I might be misinterpreting this. “

As far as I know, the royal family is not subject to FOI? They are above it

Everybody can get access for themselves via the FOI act

Not with the RF they can't - they're exempt

I agree with PPs that getting in "independent" professionals is probably the wisest course; however I'm not sure there's any such thing as an independent lawyer when it comes to the RF

@FlyingNorth

The timing is really off though. Why not wait until she delivers the royal baby?

Why not hold off on dropping allegations of racism until your 99 year old grandfather is out of hospital?

Is it tit for tat then?

Of course they’re not reasonable. They didn’t raise a hair at a literal pedophile under their protection but have brought in lawyers to investigate allegations of bullying that mysteriously arise a year after the couple leaves the U.K., just as a tell all interview airs. I can’t see how any reasonable person could side with the RF on this.

The investigation is happening now due to ex-employees complaining now that they were bullied and complaining about the way the palace dealt with it at the time.

Sounds like the palace doesn’t know how to deal with a lot of things..

Palace didn’t deal with it the way they should have three years ago, couldn’t deal with correcting the tabloids when they knew there were lies but did for other RF members, can’t seemingly deal with Prince Andrew, what can they actually do?

Still a bit convenient that they decide to investigate “bullying” claims from three years ago days before the interview and now on top of that they didn’t supposedly handle it properly then and now are expected to do so?

The RF team who should be experienced aren’t really helping themselves regardless.

Why not hold off on dropping allegations of racism until your 99 year old grandfather is out of hospital?

It’s not like H&M had control over that.

@Sprining

Didn’t the ex employees complain two years ago?

If the palace ignored it then, why suddenly wake up now?

From what I've read (which has been in foreign media) the employees did complain at the time and were handed a fat check by the Palace to STFU. So they are actually complicit in the alleged bullying.

The wake up, I assume is because some of these individuals have now been speaking to the media, and that is hard to ignore. I imagine that the Palace would have preferred for them to keep silent, given that the outcome of this is not going to look good either for H&M or the rest of the family.

From what I've read (which has been in foreign media) the employees did complain at the time and were handed a fat check by the Palace to STFU about the bullying. So they are actually complicit in it.

Sorry, that is ambiguous. I mean the palace is complicit, not the employees.

Why not hold off on dropping allegations of racism until your 99 year old grandfather is out of hospital?

He’s been under hospital care for about a month. Not like he went in when they did it. There would have been uproar regardless.

Are only royals who are out of favour investigated

What an odd thing to write? Do you not work, or have never worked? They employ over a thousand staff, investigations are against those who an allegation is made against by staff. What Organization investigates everyone? It’s nothing to do with in favour or out of favour. A complaint has been raised by a number of staff. That’s what they need to investigate.

And they need to be seen to be independent. Or Meghan and Harry will be giving it it was biased if the complaint is upheld. Staff will be liable for comp also if it is.

As for Meghan and Harry’s claims against their own family. They are family. Not employer and employee. It’s different. Who brings in a lawyer to investigate their dad saying something shit. It’s totally different and employment law is not involved.

@Sprining

Why aren’t the RF employees? Don’t they get paid to do royal duties by the taxpayers?

How are RF grievances dealt with, eg, mental health, bullying, racism?

Because they are a family? Do you get an HR company in when you fall out with an annoying brother or demanding MIL?

@Sprining - you say this is a direct quote:

“prepared to retaliate with fresh disclosures about the couple’s behaviour if the monarchy is attacked”.

It doesn’t sound like it. Where’s it from

But they are used to ignoring what they want to.

They could ignore these employees too. And anyway, if they were given payoffs, these would have non disclosures attached that they can’t complain later

I think bullying should be investigated, but the timing, only targeting MM doesn’t sit well with me. It seems like bullying of the only mixed race woman in the Rf has whiffs of the stereotype ‘angry black woman’ .

And showing disregard for the well-being of the soon to be born royal baby, who is blameless in all of this.

@Longtalljosie

From the Independent
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/meghan-markle-bullying-palace-lawyers-b1816933.html

“Because they are a family? Do you get an HR company in when you fall out with an annoying brother or demanding MIL?”

If my MIL was my boss in a family firm funded by the public purse. Then yes!

@Bluntness100

Are only royals who are out of favour investigated

What an odd thing to write? Do you not work, or have never worked? They employ over a thousand staff, investigations are against those who an allegation is made against by staff. What Organization investigates everyone? It’s nothing to do with in favour or out of favour. A complaint has been raised by a number of staff. That’s what they need to investigate.

And they need to be seen to be independent. Or Meghan and Harry will be giving it it was biased if the complaint is upheld. Staff will be liable for comp also if it is.

As for Meghan and Harry’s claims against their own family. They are family. Not employer and employee. It’s different. Who brings in a lawyer to investigate their dad saying something shit. It’s totally different and employment law is not involved.

Exactly. I'm sure the people shouting about how unfair it all is are just being wilfully ignorant.

Exactly. I'm sure the people shouting about how unfair it all is are just being wilfully ignorant.

There's an actual term for it: "motivated ignorance". There is actually little point in engaging with it, because the position is unshiftable and impervious to facts, reason or any other of the usual mechanisms of discussion.

Hmm, employment law applies to family firms.

Only not to the RF?

They need to be seen to be independent. Or Meghan and Harry will be giving it it was biased if the complaint is upheld

I expect they'd do that anyway if the complaints are upheld, no matter how "independent" the palace claims the lawyers are

It's just that, in this somewhat toxic situation, I'd be very surprised if there's any more genuine independence than the palace want to tolerate

They are family. Not employer and employee

But they are employer and employee too? Otherwise what is a ‘working’ royal?

And as I mentioned, family businesses are subject to employment law

Meghan has made many allegations against the royal family. If they investigated themselvesthey would be accused of white washing thus hey have employed lawyers to do this. Surely they are entitled to prove or disprove what has been made to look racists.