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In 2019, a popular tabloid, The Daily Mail, published 5 articles detailing Meghan Markle’s relationship with her father and revealing pieces of a letter that she wrote to him. The letter was given to the Mail by Thomas Markle, her father, but according to both American and British copyright law, the letter cannot be published without consent from the letter author, not the recipient.
Markle sued the publication with a privacy lawsuit calling out their“illegal and dehumanizing practices” “For these outlets, it’s a game,” she said in a statement. “For me and so many others, it’s real life, real relationships, and very real sadness. The damage they have done and continue to do runs deep.”
The Daily Mail’s parent company, Associated Newspapers is defending their publication by suggesting that Markle was not the sole writer of the letter. Their defense states that she had the help of palace staff in writing the letter and that they also had copyright ownership and could give permission to publish. Whether or not the duchess had help or not is still unknown.
The virtual hearing on Tuesday with judge Mark Warby was scheduled after he granted Meghan summary judgment in her case. At the hearing, Meghan won a preliminary payment of her legal costs but did not get her front-page apology.
Associate Newspapers plans on appealing the decision with the Court of Appeals in hopes of contending Meghan’s authorship. If successful, this would cause Meghan and palace staff to be called into cross-examination as well as determine if she had reasonable cause to believe the letter would remain private.
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Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan shocked the world last year when they announced they would be stepping down as senior royals and moving to North America. They previously resided in Canada, but now live in Santa Barbara, California. The couple is expecting their second child and has entertainment deals with both Netflix and Spotify. Most recently, they had an interview with Oprah that aired on March 7, on CBS, about their life as royals and why they really left it behind.
