Meghan Markle sues UK newspaper; Prince Harry attacks tabloid press

[webfact]

Meghan Markle sues UK newspaper; Prince Harry attacks tabloid press

By Costas Pitas

 

Britain's Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, arrives to meet academics and students during a roundtable discussion on female access to higher education with the Association of Commonwealth Universities, at the University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa, October 1, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Meghan Markle, the wife of Britain's Prince Harry, has started legal proceedings against the Mail on Sunday newspaper over the publication of a private letter that her lawyers said was "unlawful".

 

In a lengthy, emotional statement, Prince Harry said on Tuesday that the couple had taken legal action in response to what he called "bullying" by some sections of the British press.

 

"Though this action may not be the safe one, it is the right one," he said.

 

"My deepest fear is history repeating itself. I've seen what happens when someone I love is commoditised to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person. I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces."

 

His mother, Princess Diana, became one of the most photographed women on the planet after she married into the British royal family.

 

She died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 after being followed through the streets by photographers. Her funeral was watched by hundreds of millions of people around the world.

 

Schillings, the law firm representing Markle, described the publication of her letter as part of a "campaign by this media group to publish false and deliberately derogatory stories about her, as well as her husband.

 

"...We have issued proceedings to redress this breach of privacy, infringement of copyright and the aforementioned media agenda." It did not give details about the letter in question or publication date.

 

In his statement, Prince Harry said the newspaper had "purposely misled (readers) by strategically omitting select paragraphs, specific sentences, and even singular words."

 

The Mail on Sunday denied the account.

 

"The Mail on Sunday stands by the story it published and will be defending this case vigorously," said a spokesman. "Specifically, we categorically deny that the Duchess’s letter was edited in any way that changed its meaning."

 

Schillings said the case was being paid for privately by Prince Harry and Markle, who are also known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

 

The royal couple have been touring southern Africa together with their baby son, Archie. The prince visited the same landmine clearance project in Angola that Diana had been to see just a few months before her death.

 

The 35-year-old prince, who is Queen Elizabeth's grandson and sixth in line to the throne, said the legal action had been "many months in the making".

 

He referred to the "double standards" of some elements of the tabloid press, which have written critical articles about the couple in recent months but provided largely positive coverage of their ongoing tour.

 

"I have been a silent witness to her private suffering for too long. To stand back and do nothing would be contrary to everything we believe in," he added.

 

(Additional reporting by Paul Sandle; writing by Mike Collett-White; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Lisa Shumaker)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-10-02

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[thaibeachlovers]

Oh poor Meghan, did she not realise what joining the firm entail? Welcome to the real world.

[colinneil]

So silly Harry said...I have been a silent witness to her suffering for too long.

Harry ole lad, you married that lime light seeking gold digger, so sod off and suffer with her, she will do nothing but drag you down.

[transam]

Good for them.....????

[TopDeadSenter]

Meghan has never heard of the Streisand effect. Now the whole world will re-read the appalling and cold letter she sent to her poor father. The correct route Meghan should have taken would have been be quiet, do some ribbon cutting ceremonies, stop promoting extreme left wing causes and characters such as the fashion mag editor disaster. What a mess. I feel sorry for her father, he is the real victim in this horror show.

 

Edited October 2, 2019 by TopDeadSenter

[fishtank]

After what happened to his mother I don't think anyone can blame him.

I hope they win the case against that dreadful rag.

[stevenl]

11 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Oh poor Meghan, did she not realise what joining the firm entail? Welcome to the real world.

Doesn't really matter if their account is true and the 'paper' omitted parts to change the contents.

[mdmayes]

All the Brits papers are rags. No substance just fluff.

All the power to the couple and hope they win.

[CharlieH]

As usual the Lawyers will make all the money. The newspaper will get mileage out of this aspect of the story also. They will never stop "the press" and frankly dragging Diana out again, is getting very old. This is all part of their "position", which she is only too happy to bask in and exploit when it suits her.

[Basil B]

Poor Harry she came with a lot of excess baggage.

that's why if I ever get married she would have to be an orphan...

[faraday]

"My deepest fear is history repeating itself. I've seen what happens when someone I love is commoditised to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person. I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces."

 

In my opinion, this statement said in relation to the media implies, that they were culpable. Which they weren't.

 

 

[pegman]

Put them into bankruptcy Harry!

[Geoffggi]

Big mistake Harry......!!!! LOL

[Rimmer]

A troll post removed

[Longcut]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

"Specifically, we categorically deny that the Duchess’s letter was edited in any way that changed its meaning."

So basically they are saying they changed it. They just claim they didn't change its meaning. But, they admit they changed it. Without her consent i'm sure.

[Scot123]

I really like Harry, I have great respect for him however us men make some stupid mistakes when it comes to women. Marrying her Harry was a very big mistake. 

[transam]

2 minutes ago, Scot123 said:

I really like Harry, I have great respect for him however us men make some stupid mistakes when it comes to women. Marrying her Harry was a very big mistake. 

I reckon most of us older guys here are divorcees, so I think we all can be put in a category after the event..

We are/were free to do what we wanted regarding a wife, perhaps some frowned at our choice, but it is/was our choice and don't/didn't give a sh_t what others thought. Harry will be much the same, plus it is non of our business....

[madmen]

TV members some married to ex bar girls telling Harry he made a mistake.. comedy' gold!

She is a self made multi millionaire and her future was sparkling Bright in Hollywood. She does not need Harry's money. A balding mediocre looking red head is hardly a great catch and joining the firm took guts, who wants theirs lives on the public stage under the microscope?

She was far better off in Hollywood!

[Scot123]

8 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Meghan has never heard of the Streisand effect. Now the whole world will re-read the appalling and cold letter she sent to her poor father. The correct route Meghan should have taken would have been be quiet, do some ribbon cutting ceremonies, stop promoting extreme left wing causes and characters such as the fashion mag editor disaster. What a mess. I feel sorry for her father, he is the real victim in this horror show. Oh lots of photos of her in the article. They are really spinning her connection to him. 

 

She/they should have kept quite. Just read a story on the Daily Mail about a little incident on Thursday in Hollywood a very close relative high on drugs and naked being arrested on the street by police. A nice little video clip backing up the story. 

Edited October 2, 2019 by Scot123
Second thought.

[stevenl]

25 minutes ago, Scot123 said:

She/they should have kept quite. Just read a story on the Daily Mail about a little incident on Thursday in Hollywood a very close relative high on drugs and naked being arrested on the street by police. A nice little video clip backing up the story. 

Won't make a difference, the tabloids keep going after them.

 

Good on them to stand up to this.

[Thingamabob]

Yawn....

[kamahele]

9 hours ago, colinneil said:

So silly Harry said...I have been a silent witness to her suffering for too long.

Harry ole lad, you married that lime light seeking gold digger, so sod off and suffer with her, she will do nothing but drag you down.

Gold digger? Why would she be a gold digger? She had her own successful career and didn't need his money. I would think Harry would be sensitive seeing as though his mother was hounded to her death.

[kamahele]

33 minutes ago, Scot123 said:

She/they should have kept quite. Just read a story on the Daily Mail about a little incident on Thursday in Hollywood a very close relative high on drugs and naked being arrested on the street by police. A nice little video clip backing up the story. 

What in the world does her half nephew being arrested have to do with the false reporting for which her husband has written about? Nothing.

[richard_smith237]

Freedom of speech comes with a level of responsibility all too frequently ignored in the UK Tabloids. 

The tabloids have lost any sense of morality in their 'Anything for a headline' approach to news gossip, the behavior and actions of the tabloid press are generally despicable, they destroy lives. 

 

I would like to see new laws where Freedom of Speech comes with a degree of accountability. 

[alan grice]

Dont say what you think.!.Unless its PC.


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[madmen]

10 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

reedom of speech comes with a level of responsibility all too frequently ignored in the UK Tabloids. 

Read a recent article showing Harry's growing bald patch and they blamed the stress of taking on Megan was the cause. Unbelievable

[transam]

I find it amazing that some Brits slag off the UK Royals when there is no need for it....

[JAG]

14 minutes ago, kamahele said:

What in the world does her half nephew being arrested have to do with the false reporting for which her husband has written about? Nothing.

As you say, nothing. He was hardly a close relative either! Still, remember the hysterical "faux outrage" and headlines "Sandhurst Cadet goes to fancy dress party in bad taste costume and gets <deleted> - oh the horror!". Anything to cling to their idea of "the moral high ground"!

 

If, as the Daily Mail admits, they edited the letter before publishing it (and it was a private letter so they had no damned business publishing it) then inevitably they will have changed it's meaning.

 

The Prince is right, tabloid press hounding was behind the death of his mother. He is right to sue them. I hope it hurts them.

 

Mind you, it is not just the tabloids - The Times has been assiduous in suggesting that there is ill will between the two princes and their wives. Private Eye (in the old "Dear Bill" column) had it right in describing them as "the reptiles"!

[Kadilo]

One year in, pussy whipped already. 

[TopDeadSenter]

41 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Won't make a difference, the tabloids keep going after them.

And yet... The tabloids are not "going after" Will and Kate, not Charles and Camilla, nor Prince Phillip, nor Zara, Eugenie and the rest of them. Even Prince Andrew with his recent Epstein links has avoided most bad press.

 

 Is it possible, that Harry and Meghan are responsible themselves for bad press due to their own actions? Or was it all just an incredible run of bad luck?