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Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, Suing Tabloid

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, announced reason his wife is suing a British newspaper.

By Margaret MinnicksPublished 4 years ago 3 min read
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Prince Harry made a shocking announcement that his wife Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, is suing the Mail on Sunday for publishing excerpts from a private and personal letter she wrote to her father Thomas Markle back in February. The announcement came on the last day of the couple's successful 10-day tour in South Africa with their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. Prince Harry made the announcement just 24 hours before he and his family were scheduled to return home.

Did the announcement come at a bad time?

Initially, the public thought the announcement came at a bad time because it is overshadowing their successful South African tour. The royal couple was able to make many great accomplishments only to come home and face a lawsuit.

Aides say the announcement was not connected to the South African tour. Instead, the timing was appropriate because it is based on legal advice, and Prince Harry decided to issue the statement before returning home. He said the action he and his wife are taking is the right thing because he has had enough of the negative stories about his wife, and he wants the negative coverage to stop.

The Duke of Sussex said the lawsuit has been many months in the making. His wife has been vilified almost daily and lie after lie was printed at her expense when she was on maternity leave and at other times.

Reactions to the announcement

Prince Harry's announcement was unexpected, and it shocked most people, including his communication team and the staff who were with the royals in South Africa. Many wondered if Queen Elizabeth knew about the announcement and why it couldn't have waited one more day. After all, the main focus of the lawsuit is about something that happened quite a while ago.

Because of the sudden announcement, many reporters had to drop their original story about events in Johannesburg on Wednesday and replace it with details about the lawsuit. Royal editor Chris Ship, who traveled to Botswana, Angola, and Malawi with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, said on Wednesday that the announcement became his story instead of the good news surrounding the African tour.

What was the specific negative coverage?

There has been a lot of negative coverage about Meghan since she and Prince Harry met and began dating in 2016. A year before the couple's engagement, Prince Harry issued a statement then citing abuse and harassment from the media. However, there was no lawsuit at that time.

Prince Harry's statement is posted on the couple's official website that his wife is to start proceedings in the high court over the misuse of her private letter. The lawsuit is based on infringement of copyright and breach of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

In the recent announcement about a lawsuit, Prince Harry accused most of the British tabloids of deliberately reporting negative press about his wife before they were married, since their marriage, throughout her pregnancy and now that she is a new mother. However, the British Mail on Sunday was the tabloid that was called out and is the only one being sued. That particular outlet has been accused of printing excerpts from a private letter that his wife wrote to her estranged father. Prince Harry said the story about the letter was intentionally published in a destructive manner. Besides, the original letter was edited in a misleading way to make Meghan look bad.

Reactions to Prince Harry's announcement

Prince Harry himself admitted it is going to be an uphill battle to get the tabloids to stop printing negative stories. The Mail on Sunday is a major British newspaper that quickly responded by saying it stands by the story it printed. Also, the paper claims that the letter was not edited in any way that changed its meaning.

Prince Harry has attacked the press in the past, but sources say he appeared angrier and more personal than the other times he has accused the media of harassing his late mother and now his wife and mother of his son.

More details concerning the lawsuit are expected to be in the news for many days, weeks, and perhaps months to come.

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About the Creator

Margaret Minnicks

Margaret Minnicks shares articles with readers all over the world. Topics include celebrities, royal family, movies, television, foods, drinks, health issues, and other interesting things. Thanks in advance for TIPS that are sent my way.

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