Buckingham Palace has launched a probe into allegations that Meghan Markle bullied a staff member during her time as a senior royal, according to reports released Wednesday.

The Duchess of Sussex was accused of creating a toxic and manipulative atmosphere for royal aides in a Tuesday article in the Times of London. The story sparked Buckingham Palace to start an  investigation.

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

The statement continued, “Accordingly our HR team will look into the circumstances outlined in the article. Members of the 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 has 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.”

“I couldn’t stop shaking,” a royal aide said in an alleged incident of a confrontation with the Duchess.

The U.K. newspaper further reported that two senior staff members were allegedly bullied to abandon their posts while a third claimed that they were personally “humiliated” by Markle.

On Wednesday, Markle said the the claims were nothing more than a “calculated smear campaign” orchestrated by the palace ahead of the Duke and Duchess’ sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey on Sunday night.

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“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,” said a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess.

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