By Sheila Mckenzie-
Documents from Meghan’s lawyers yesterday claimed the former actress “wanted to follow protocol” on how to deal with media coverage around her father, by her going to two senior members of the royal family on “how best to address the situation”.
The two royals are not named in the documents by Meghan’s legal team, but it is believed she is referring to Prince Charles, the father of her husband Harry. Prince Charles notably walked Meghan down the aisle for the famous marriage ceremony after it emerged that the former actress’s father could not attend the wedding and is believed to be the senior member of the family she is closest too.
AD: Capeesh Restaurant
Meghan Markle has accused the Associated Press of subjecting her to a torrid period of distress by invading her privacy. Last year, Prince Harry and his wife announced they were severing ties with the mainstream press over a fall out in which Harry said his wife was being victimised on a daily basis. He said he wasn’t willing to see her wife fall victim to the same powerful forces that affected his mother. Critics have accused the pair of exploiting their titles and being too sensitive with the press, but the Dutchess of Sussex said in court documents that constant press attack affected her mental health.
Advice
Documents submitted to the High Court read: “Given the claimant’s level of distress surrounding the form, frequency and content of the media coverage concerning her father, and as the newest member of the royal family who wanted to follow protocol, the claimant sought advice from two senior members of the royal family on how best to address the situation.
AD: Oysterian Sea Food Restaurant And Bar
“In accordance with the advice that she had received from the two members of the Royal Family, the [duchess] decided (in about the first week of August 2018) to write a private letter to her father in an attempt to get him to stop talking to the press.”
Charles walked Meghan down the aisle on her May 2018 wedding day Image : PA:Press Association
It comes after court documents released by the MoS this week argued the letter was not Meghan’s “own intellectual creation” in claims that could blow the case apart if proved to be true.
Lawyers for Associated Newspaper argue the letter was “copied” from an electronic draft. And they say the Kensington Palace communications team “contributed to the writing” of the draft.
“It is for the Claimant to prove she was the only person who contributed to the writing of the Electronic Draft.
“Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the Defendant infers that Jason Knauf and/or others in the Kensington Palace Communications team contributed to the writing of the Electronic Draft.
“Precisely which parts were the result of such contribution is uniquely known to the Claimant, Jason Knauf and others in the team.”
However, Meghan’s lawyers said ANL had been unable to identify which parts of the letter were written by anyone but the duchess – saying the claims were “wholly speculative and unsupported”.
Meghan has also denied that the Kensington Palace press team, or anyone else, helped to write the letter.
COURT BATTLE
Meghan claims the publication of extracts from the “private and confidential” letter breached Data Protection Act and infringement of copyright.
She is also seeking damages for alleged misuse of private information over the five articles published in February 2019.
(Meghan) sought advice from two senior members of the royal family on how best to address the situation
Court Documents
Ms Markle denies being party to the leakage of the stories to the press, but the Associated Newspapers claim Prince Harry’s wife had herself leaked details of the letter to the media through friends.
Meghan last month won her bid to delay the court battle for almost a year over a “confidential” matter.
A ten-day trial was set to take place in London on January 11 next year, but this will now be substantially delayed. New court documents revealed Meghan admitted passing information to the authors using a go-between but claimed it wasn’t to “enhance her image”.
AD: Heritage And Restaurant Lounge Bar