The darker side of organisational life

PRINCESS Diana, Sarah Ferguson (Duchess of York), and now Meghan Markle (Duchess of Sussex) share a unique experience. Each revealed the crushing effects and personal ordeal of social exclusion by the royal House of Windsor. They did not fit. They experienced rejection. They became outsiders.

In his interview with Oprah Winfrey, Prince Harry, the husband of Meghan, said: "What I was seeing was history repeating itself . . . but far more dangerous because you add race in and social media in."

Before delving further into the customs and practices of the British royal household, let's not pretend their institutional routines are unique. The palace's antics merely reflect broader social issues. They exemplify the challenges of deeply held beliefs, practices and basic assumptions that bond insiders together and cast others out.