Speaking on True Royalty TV’s The Royal Beat, royal expert Richard Kay questioned Meghan Markle’s lawyer’s remarks about bullying in a recent BBC documentary

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Meghan Markle’s lawyer discusses the bullying claims

Meghan Markle’s lawyer is in “no position” to know that bullying claims against the duchess are untrue, a royal expert has claimed.

In the BBC documentary, The Princes and The Press, Jenny Afia said there were “massive inaccuracies” in the story that Meghan had “bullied” some of her staff.

The allegations surfaced publicly in March this year and were branded a “calculated smear campaign” by the Sussexes, who fiercely deny any wrongdoing.

On True Royalty TV’s The Royal Beat, royal expert Richard Kay questioned Meghan’s lawyer’s remarks.

He said: “The thing that struck me about Jenny Afia was where she categorically said, as Meghan’s lawyer, that the allegations of bullying were untrue.

“She is in no position to know that.

“She could have said ‘I am advised as her lawyer that the allegations are untrue’, but she wasn’t there and she doesn’t know what the nature of the investigation by Buckingham Palace is, [and] which is still ongoing into the claims and counterclaims.”

During the documentary, broadcast on Monday night, Ms Afia was asked by presenter Amol Rajan if the story about bullying allegations, which first appeared in The Times, was accurate.

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She told the programme: “The overall allegation was that the Duchess of Sussex is guilty of bullying. Absolutely not.

“The first thing is to be really clear about what bullying is. What bullying actually means is improperly using power deliberately and repeatedly to hurt someone physically or emotionally.

“The Duchess of Sussex has absolutely denied ever doing that. That said, she wouldn’t want to negate anyone’s personal experience.”

When asked if she provided any evidence to refute the claims, the lawyer added: “It is really hard to prove a negative. So if you haven’t bullied someone how do you prove you haven’t.

“Just denying the allegation… doesn’t address the underlying problem that the allegation has been made.”

The documentary, which aired its first part last week, set out to explore the relationships between Princes William and Harry and the press.

In the first episode last week, there were claims that negative stories about Meghan were leaked by courtiers and there was competitiveness between William and Harry’s respective households.

In a joint statement that was shown at the end of the documentary both this week and last week, Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace and Clarence House said: “A free, responsible and open Press is of vital importance to healthy democracy.

“However, too often overblown and unfounded claims from unknown sources are presented as facts and it is disappointing when anyone, including the BBC, gives them credibility.”

The Royal Beat – available on True Royalty TV.