Meghan Markle: Palace 'worried about Oprah chat' says expert

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Meghan’s close friend and actress Ms Gavankar showed her support for the Duchess of Sussex with an impassioned message shared on Twitter. She wrote: “I have known Meghan for 17 years.

“Here’s what she is: kind, strong, open. Here’s what she’s not: ‘a bully’.

“ANY of us who know her, feel the same thing from her broken silence: Relief.

“The truth shall set you free.”

Ms Gavankar previously spoke about how she keeps in touch with the Duchess of Sussex despite their busy schedule. 

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight in March last year, the actress said: “Listen, our entire friendship has been apart, you know.

“We met 16 years ago, and we’ve just been apart since, so our friendship lives on FaceTime, no matter where we are.”

Ms Gavankar was also the person who took the picture of Meghan, Harry and Archie under the Christmas tree, later used as the Sussexes’ Christmas e-card, during the holidays in 2019.

The actress’ show of support for Meghan comes in the wake of a report published by The Times on Tuesday evening related to bullying allegations when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were still frontline members of the Royal Family in 2018. 

Meghan and Harry’s lawyers have strongly denied the allegations, branding them a “smear campaign”.

A spokesman for the couple said: “Let’s just call this what it is — a calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation.

“We are disappointed to see this defamatory portrayal of The Duchess of Sussex given credibility by a media outlet.

“It’s no coincidence that distorted several-year-old accusations aimed at undermining The Duchess are being briefed to the British media shortly before she and The Duke are due to speak openly and honestly about their experience of recent years.” 

The statement added the “defamatory claims” made by The Times have been addressed in full in a legal letter to the newspaper.

Meghan, the spokesman also said, was left “saddened” by this attack.

He said: “The Duchess is saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself and is deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma.

“She is determined to continue her work building compassion around the world and will keep striving to set an example for doing what is right and doing what is good.” 

The day after the report was published, Buckingham Palace announced it would launch an investigation.

A statement from the palace read: “We are clearly very concerned about allegations in The Times following claims made by former staff of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

“Accordingly our HR team will look into the circumstances outlined in the article.

“Members of staff involved at the time, including those who have left the Household, will be invited to participate to see if lessons can be learned. 

“The Royal Household had had a Dignity at Work policy in place for a number of years and does not and will not tolerate bullying or harassment in the workplace.”

The Times report was published just a few days before Meghan and Prince Harry’s pre-recorded interview with Oprah is to air in the US.

Their first sit-down interview since Megxit will be broadcasted first on US network CBS on Sunday at 8pm ET (Monday at 1am GMT) and on Monday evening on ITV.

CBS has so far shared three short teasers, which set the tone of the two-hour-long chat.

In the latest clip published, Meghan replied to Oprah, who asked how she felt knowing the palace would watch her speak her truth, saying: “I don’t know how they could expect that after all of this time we would still just be silent if there is an active role that The Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us

“And if that comes with risk of losing things, I mean, I’ve…there’s a lot that’s been lost already.”     

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