Meghan Markle's Big Win In Her Legal Battle Explained
Meghan Markle just scored a massive win. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been ensnared in a legal battle against the Mail on Sunday and owners Associated Newspapers since October 2019, as the publication continuously ran critical coverage of the two. With limited options, Meghan took the outlet to court on grounds of publishing excerpts of a private letter she wrote to father Thomas Markle Sr.
At the time, Prince Harry published a lengthy statement explaining the couple's actions. "This particular legal action hinges on one incident in a long and disturbing pattern of behaviour by British tabloid media," he noted in the release. "The contents of a private letter were published unlawfully in an intentionally destructive manner to manipulate you, the reader, and further the divisive agenda of the media group in question."
Harry also noted the publication "purposely misled you by strategically omitting select paragraphs, specific sentences, and even singular words to mask the lies they had perpetuated for over a year." In February, the couple defeated the outlet in court, as the judge ruled the publication indeed invaded Meghan's privacy, per The New York Times. Associated Newspapers appealed the decision, but ultimately, they have come up short once again.
Meghan Markle's two-year battle against the Mail on Sunday finally concludes
After a tumultuous two-year war waged between Meghan Markle and the Mail on Sunday, the Duchess of Sussex ultimately came out on top. Renowned royal journalist Omid Scobie broke the news on December 2nd, tweeting that the Mail on Sunday's parent company, Associated Newspapers, "LOST its appeal in the privacy and copyright case of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex." He further noted that "the Court of Appeal upheld Justice Warby's Feb 2021 summary judgement" — citing the duke and duchess legal win from earlier this year against the publication.
Following her December victory, Meghan published a letter via Twitter stating, "This is a victory not just for me, but for anyone who has ever felt scared to stand up for what's right." She noted elsewhere that "From day one, I have treated this lawsuit as an important measure of right versus wrong," adding that "The longer [the Mail on Sunday] dragged it out, the more they could twist facts and manipulate the public (even during the appeal itself)."
She concludes with a resounding message of how this "precedent setting" case not only affects her but also the overarching public. "... as far removed as it may seem from your personal life, it's not. Tomorrow it could be you," Meghan wrote. "These harmful practices don't happen once in a blue moon — they are a daily fail that divide us, and we all deserve better."