Meghan accuses palace of perpetuating falsehoods against her and Harry

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has accused Buckingham Palace of "perpetuating falsehoods" against her and husband Prince Harry in an explosive clip from an interview with Oprah Winfrey that is due to be aired on Sunday.

In the clip released on Wednesday night, Winfrey asks Meghan: "How do you feel about the palace hearing you speak your truth today?"

Meghan then says: "I don't know how they could expect that after all of this time, we would still just be silent if there is an active role that the firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us.

"And, if that comes with risk of losing things, I mean ... there is a lot that has been lost already."

The firm is a term sometimes used to refer to the royal family. Buckingham Palace said it had "no comment" when asked about the interview clip.

The full interview conducted by Winfrey with Meghan and Prince Harry will air on CBS on Sunday and on UK channel ITV on Monday. It is their first sit-down appearance since leaving Britain for North America last year.

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Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are pictured during the interview with Oprah Winfrey.

The couple announced in January 2020 that they were stepping back as working members of the royal family and moved to North America soon afterward. Buckingham Palace confirmed last month that they had agreed with Queen Elizabeth II, Harry's grandmother, that they would not be returning as working royals.

The move sparked talk of a rift between the couple -- who are settled in California and expecting their second child -- and the British royal family.

Earlier Wednesday, Buckingham Palace said it would investigate allegations that Meghan bullied several staff members after a British media report cited unnamed royal aides saying a complaint had been made against her in 2018.

The Times in the UK published an article on Tuesday citing sources who said that the complaint claimed the Duchess drove out two personal assistants from her Kensington Palace household and undermined the confidence of a third staff member. CNN has been unable to corroborate the claims.

The sources also said they approached The Times because they felt the version of the Duchess that had publicly emerged was only partially true and that they were concerned about how matters of bullying had been dealt with. The report said the sources believed the public "should have insight into their side of the story" ahead of the couple's highly anticipated interview with Winfrey.

Buckingham Palace said it was "very concerned" about the allegations outlined in the report.

"Accordingly our HR team will look into the circumstances outlined in the article. Members of staff involved at the time, including those who have left the Household, will be invited to participate to see if lessons can be learned," it said in its statement.

A spokesperson for the Sussexes dismissed the Times report as "a calculated smear campaign" ahead of the couple's interview with Winfrey.