Samantha Cohen, Meghan Markle’s former royal aide, has acknowledged her participation in Buckingham Palace’s investigation into allegations of bullying against the Duchess of Sussex, confirming she was one of the 10 royal staffers interviewed.

Having served the royal family since 2001 and acting as Markle’s private secretary in 2021 during the onset of the complaints about a hostile work environment, Cohen briefly addressed her involvement with the investigation. While refraining from providing extensive details, she remarked to the Australian newspaper the Herald Sun, “I was only supposed to stay for six months but stayed for 18… we couldn’t find a replacement for me and when we did, we took them on tour to Africa with Harry and Meghan to show them the ropes but they left (quit) as well while in Africa.”

Cohen concluded her tenure with the royals in 2019.

The allegations emerged just before Meghan and Prince Harry’s widely discussed interview with Oprah Winfrey, during which the Duchess shared her challenges navigating life within the royal family, describing it as “almost unsurvivable.”

Queen Elizabeth II privately funded the HR review, conducted by an independent investigator in March 2021 following claims of bullying by two royal staffers during Markle’s tenure.

Markle’s legal team vehemently denied the allegations, denouncing them as a “calculated smear campaign.” Accusations included instances where Markle purportedly caused distress to her assistants and mistreated others to the extent that they resigned.

Although the investigation concluded in June 2022, resulting in policy and procedural recommendations, the findings were not made public. Michael Stevens, the Queen’s treasurer, stated during a briefing that while the review had been completed and recommendations implemented, no further comments would be provided.

Reflecting on her experience, Cohen shared insights into Queen Elizabeth’s demeanour, highlighting the late monarch’s lack of ego and her response to challenges. Cohen remarked, “The late Elizabeth had no ego, yet loved it when things went wrong.”