Meghan Markle challenges Royal Family to offer evidence of bullying

Meghan Markle is demanding to see evidence from Buckingham Palace relating to the bullying complaints against her that surfaced just before the screening of her tell-all interview with Prince Harry.

A senior palace source told The Mail on Sunday that Markle had “written to request evidence” including “documents, emails or text messages” about the allegations by royal aides. The move is “a clear indication that the Duchess is preparing to fight back against what she has termed ‘a smear campaign’”, says the paper.

The Queen has reportedly “passed the request to the Prince of Wales”, whose “closest aides are now conducting a search of files”.

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Meanwhile, an insider source told The Sunday Times that “the actual worst incidences haven’t come out”. As tensions continue to escalade, the Palace “has decided the investigation will be handed to ‘independent’ external investigators, instead of the in-house inquiry initially announced”, the paper reports.

The “original plan” was to launch an investigation led by the Palace’s HR director, Elisabeth Hunka, adds The Telegraph, which argues that the rethink is a sign that “the Royal Family now considers the potential fallout too sensitive to be handled internally” and that “royal aides fear the stakes are now too high”.

A royal spokesperson last night refused to comment on the investigation, saying that while the probe “is being taken forward”, the Palace “will not be providing a public commentary on it”.

Lawyers acting for the Sussexes have previously described the bullying claims against the duchess as “a calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation”.