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“Due to the confidentiality of the talks, we have not communicated the detailed recommendations,” the official said. “The recommendations have been incorporated into policies and procedures where appropriate, and policies and procedures have been amended.”
The official added, “I think the goals have been met because the lessons have been learned.” The palace did not elaborate on what those lessons were or how their staffing policies have changed.
Buckingham Palace to investigate whether Meghan, Duchess of Sussex bullied her staff
In March 2021, Buckingham Palace launched an investigation into allegations of bullying after an article in the Times of London claimed that two of Meghan’s employees had been forced from their jobs and a third undermined.
At the time, Meghan’s lawyers denied the reports, calling them a “calculated smear campaign” and saying the Times of London was “used by Buckingham Palace to spread a completely false narrative” about the Duchess. The reports appeared in the newspaper just before Meghan and Prince Harry’s bombastic interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The palace, which never backed the claims but said they were serious enough to be investigated, said in a statement on Thursday that the investigation was complete and that “recommendations on our policies and procedures have been advanced”. The palace said it would not release the results of the review, which looked into the palace’s handling of the complaints – not the details of the allegations themselves.
Royal observers had expected the review to be mentioned in the Sovereign Grant Report, the annual financial report on the monarchy’s spending and income, released on Thursday.
According to the palace official, the investigation into the bullying allegations was funded privately, not with taxpayers’ money, meaning it didn’t have to be included in the public accounts.
The annual report showed that the British monarch’s official spending for 2021-2022 was about $124 million, a 17 percent increase from the previous financial year.
That amount exceeded the $105 million Sovereign Grant – the pot of public money made available by the British government to help fund the Queen’s household and upkeep of the royal residences. The palace said royal finances cost $1.57 per person in the UK and that the majority of its expenses went towards major renovations at Buckingham Palace. According to the palace, the additional costs would be covered by reserves formed in previous years.
Reports revealed that the most expensive royal trip last year was that of Prince William and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, to the Caribbean in March – which was seen as something of a public relations disaster – which cost $274,000.
William and Kate travel the Caribbean to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee, sparking anti-colonial protests and demanding reparations
Some said the costs seemed excessive, especially in the current economic climate with an emerging cost-of-living crisis. UK inflation is over 9 per cent – the highest rate in 40 years. “100 million pounds for the royals? Master it,” the Daily Mirror roared about it front page.
Michael Stevens, the Queen’s Treasurer, also known as the Keeper of the Privy Purse, said in a statement that royal finances were also likely to become strained in the years to come.
“As the Sovereign Grant is expected to remain flat for the next several years, inflationary pressures on operating expenses and our ability to generate additional revenue are likely to be constrained in the near term, we will continue to deliver on our plans and manage this impact through our own efforts and efficiency.” , he said.
