Sunday 3 July 2022 06:42 PM ALEXANDRA SHULMAN'S NOTEBOOK: It's right to keep the Palace 'bullying' report ... trends now

So, now we know for certain that the report on whether the Duchess of Sussex did or did not bully staff at Kensington Palace won’t be made public.

Although it would have been intriguing to learn the findings, I can’t help thinking that keeping the report confidential must be the right decision for those involved.

Bullying leaves deep scars, so thrusting the whole thing into the public domain would most likely have brought back unpleasant memories if any intimidating behaviour did take place.

Bullying is difficult to pin down, even to define. It inflicts a kind of mental violence and often leaves its victims fearful of their perpetrator long after he or she is out of the picture.

I have no idea whether the Duchess was a bully, but over the years I have come across many bullies – particularly the type who exert an insidious, undermining effect that’s hard to put your finger on.

Screaming and shouting bullies are ghastly to work for. But it’s clear to everyone around what is going on. That type of bullying is out in the open and there’s often a tacit sense of sympathy shared among colleagues. Which is at least some comfort – particularly as out-in-the-open bullying is often directed at more than one individual.

Far harder to deal with is the kind of bullying that makes the victim question whether they are imagining it or are in the wrong and as useless as they are being told.

The bully cannily plays with the psyche, finding the a weak spot and toying with it like a cat with a wounded mouse. It operates at a more subliminal level, but can leave much deeper scars.

Subtler bullying of this kind is more commonly found in the creative industries – film, art, fashion, journalism – where each employee’s contribution is often based on personal relationships and relies on maintaining a degree of confidence in one’s own abilities.

Once a bully sets on a person, and makes them question their value, it can be lethal.

Bullies are usually damaged characters themselves, deriving their sense of power and authority from undermining others.

They rarely pick on equals or anyone able to fight back. Instead, they seek out the vulnerable. All of which is why it’s vital the new HR ‘policies and procedures’ instituted at the Palace make a real attempt at protecting royal staff.

The other day a friend revealed that one in four pupils at his daughters’ primary school in Oxfordshire is now questioning their gender.

It sounds unbelievable – until you hear that the NHS has decided to take the word ‘women’ out of its main website guidance on ovarian, womb and cervical cancers and the menopause. If young girls are living in a world where the

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