Meghan Markle asks for urgent court ruling over “breach of privacy”
Meghan Markle’s lawyers have asked a judge to settle her lawsuit against a newspaper before it goes to trial.
The 39-year-old Royal is suing Associated Newspapers for an invasion of privacy and copyright infringement over five articles published in the Mail on Sunday and the MailOnline through February of 2019.
Her legal team have asked a British judge to rule that the publication released a "deeply personal" letter to her estranged father that was "a plain and a serious breach of her rights of privacy".
The publications included portions of a handwritten letter to her father, Thomas Markle, after her marriage to Prince Harry in 2018.
Associated Newspapers is contesting the claim, and a full trial is due to be held in the autumn at the High Court.
It is set to be one of London's highest-profile civil court showdowns for years.
The Duchess is seeking a summary judgement that would find in her favour and dismiss the newspaper's defence case.
Her lawyer, Justin Rushbrooke, has that the publisher has "no real prospect" of winning the case.
"At its heart, it's a very straightforward case about the unlawful publication of a private letter," he said at the start of a two-day hearing, held remotely because of coronavirus restrictions.
Rushbrooke said Meghan had an understanding that "a heartfelt plea from an anguished daughter to her father" would remain private.
Lawyers for the Duchess say Thomas Markle, a retired television cinematographer, caused anguish for Meghan and Harry before their May 2018 wedding.
He gave multiple media interviews and posed for wedding-preparation shots taken by a paparazzi agency.
He did not attend the wedding ceremony after suffering a heart attack.
Rushbrooke said Meghan's letter was "a message of peace" and it’s aim was "to stop him talking to the press."
He said the Duchess took steps to ensure the five-page, 1,250-word letter would not be intercepted.
She sent it by FedEx through her accountant to her father's home.
The letter begged Thomas Markle to stop speaking to the media, saying: "Your actions have broken my heart into a million pieces."
The last sentences, read out in court, were: "I ask for nothing other than peace. And I wish the same for you."
Lawyers for Associated Newspapers however have argued that Meghan likely knew the letter would one day be published.