Meghan Markle Wins Privacy Case against UK Tabloid

The Duchess of Sussex has finally won her privacy claim against the publisher that had published portions of her private letter to her father Thomas Markle. 

Meghan filed a case against ‘Associated Newspapers’ the publisher of ‘The Mail Sunday’ and ‘Mail Online’ after extracts of her letter were published. 

She had written the five-page letter to her estranged father after her wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018.

A summary judgement was granted to Meghan Markle on this case. 

Justice Mark Warby ruled in her favour and wrote, “She enjoyed a reasonable expectation that the contents would remain private and not be published to the world at large by a national newspaper; the defendant's conduct in publishing the contents of the letter was a misuse of her private information.”

He said that the disclosures were “manifestly excessive and unlawful.”

Meghan Markle expressed gratitude and wholeheartedly welcomed the judgment in these words, “After two long years of pursuing litigation, I am grateful to the courts for holding Associated Newspapers and The Mail on Sunday to account for their illegal and dehumanizing practices.” 

“For these outlets, it's a game. 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”, Meghan expressed. 

Meghan thanked her legal team, family, and supporters, adding: “We all lose when misinformation sells more than truth, when moral exploitation sells more than decency, and when companies create their business model to profit from people's pain. But for today, with this comprehensive win on both privacy and copyright, we have all won.”

Meghan had brought a case in the High Court in England of breach of copyright, infringement of her privacy, and breaches of the Data Protection Act over articles that showed parts of her private letter. 

Meanwhile, ‘Associated Newspapers’ said that they are surprised by the summary judgement and are disappointed that they didn’t have the chance to have all the evidence heard in full trial. They will decide on considering an appeal. 

The intrusion of the media into the private life of Meghan and Harry was one of the prime reasons why the couple decided to withdraw their royal duties and move with their son Archie to the United States of America.