One of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s former royal aides has spoken out about what it was like working for the couple – and it doesn’t sound good!
According to reports, Samantha Cohen, who initially worked as a press advisor to the late Queen Elizabeth II for 17 years before the monarch asked her to become Prince Harry and Meghan’s private secretary in June 2018, said she was mistreated by the couple, while also claiming it was like “working with teenagers” because they were so immature. She resigned from the royal household in 2019.
Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Former Royal Aide Speaks Out
According to Ok!, Cohen (pictured next to Meghan, above) was only meant to work with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for six months, but stayed much longer than anticipated as the palace found it almost impossible to find someone who wanted to take the job.
"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 as well while in Africa," Cohen, pictured below, confessed to the Herald Sun.
Cohen's negative experience with the Sussexes was also detailed in Valentine Low's book Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown, which mentioned that she was "treated harshly" by the couple. She also reportedly told others that it was "like working with teenagers."
Working with the late Queen Elizabeth II, however, couldn't have been more enjoyable. "The Queen had no ego, she was so comfortable in herself, yet she loved it when things went wrong," Cohen confessed, adding: "If a cake was not cutting, or a plaque didn't unveil, because everything was so perfectly organized, it spiced her life up when things went wrong."
Samantha Cohen Confirmed She Was Interviewed Over Meghan Markle Bullying Complaint
Cohen also confirmed that she was one of 10 courtiers to be interviewed after a bullying complaint was raised by Harry and Meghan's communications secretary, Jason Knauf, in 2018 – although she hasn't said anything further about the complaint.
Knauf reportedly claimed that Meghan bullied two PAs "out of the household" within the space of one year and was bullying other female members of staff. In an email which leaked to The Times, Knauf mentioned that he was concerned about Cohen's wellbeing after noticing how stressed she was becoming. He wrote: "I questioned if the Household policy on bullying and harassment applies to principals (i.e., a member of the royal family.)"
For what it's worth, Prince Harry addressed the bullying allegations in his bombshell memoir Spare, saying: "It was so outrageous that even though Meg and I demonstrated their lie with a 25-page report to human resources full of evidence, it was going to be very hard for me to ignore it."
Royal Author Thinks This Isn't The Last We Will Hear Of The Bullying Allegations
Although Meghan's name was officially cleared following an investigation, we could be hearing more about the bullying allegations in the not-so-distant future. According to Page Six, royal author Tom Bower strongly believes more information will come to light following Cohen's latest claims.
"I have no doubt that more will now emerge," the Revenge: Meghan, Harry, and the War Between the Windsors author wrote in the Daily Mail. "The trickle of information will, soon enough, become a stream," he continued, adding: "That's not to prejudge the matter or say what the verdict will be. But it's very much to the Palace's discredit that, whatever truth we arrive at, it should have to emerge in this painful and unsatisfactory way."
