The Duchess of Sussex and her husband Prince Harry are suing Associated Newspapers, owner of the Mail on Sunday, for making public, a handwritten letter the former actress wrote her estranged father back in 2018.
The first court hearing in the privacy case began via video link at London’s High Court yesterday.
“It’s not a trial, there will be no witnesses and I’m not going to make any findings of fact about the underlying events,” Judge Mark Warby said.
Lawyers for the the royal husband and wife claim the letters publication was a misuse of private information and breached her copyright.
The publication of the letter is claimed to have caused a deep rift between Meghan and her 75-year-old father.
Meghan and Harry are seeking aggravated damages from the paper.
Documents from the Duchess’ lawyers this week accused the Mail and other tabloids of harassing, humiliating and manipulating the 38-year-old former Suits star.
The lawyer for the newspaper, Antony White, is pushing to have parts of Meghan’s claim dismissed, saying they were irrelevant or impermissible, not properly pleaded or disproportionate for the court to investigate.
A source claims that Meghan and Harry – who have moved to Los Angeles after stepping down as senior members of the royal family on March 31 – are expected to listen in remotely.
The hearing is one of the first stages in the legal action and a date for a full trial has not yet been set.