Prince Harry and Meghan sue Daily Mail over publication of private letter

The British Royal family has taken a rare move to sue a tabloid media over a publication of a private letter by the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle.

The Duke – Prince Harry –  and Duchess of Sussex are accusing the DMG Media formerly Associated Newspapers, of “the misuse of private information, infringement of copyright, and breach of the Data Protection Act 2018.”

The ADMG Media are the owners of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.

It is not exactly stated which article the Sussexes are referring to but in February, the Mail published a story about a handwritten letter that Meghan had sent to her estranged father, Thomas Markle.

In support of the lawsuit, Prince Harry, in a statement published on the couple’s official website, launched an unexpected rebuke of British tabloids regarding their treatment of his wife, and vowing that he could no longer be a “silent witness to her private suffering.”

The Duke affirms he’s all for “objective, truthful reporting” but he points that a section of the media is engaged in “waging campaigns against individuals with no thought to the consequences.”

“Put simply, it is bullying, which scares and silences people. We all know this isn’t acceptable, at any level. We won’t and can’t believe in a world where there is no accountability for this.”

“There comes a point when the only thing to do is to stand up to this behaviour because it destroys people and destroys lives.

According to the Duke, his and Meghan’s action is “the right one” as he compares the media’s treatment of Meghan to that of his mother, the late Princess Diana, who died while being chased by paparazzi.

The Prince also confesses that his “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,” he says. “I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces.”

Prince Harry ends the statement with an appreciation of the support they’ve gotten from the public. “Although it may not seem like it, we really need it,” he writes.

According to the Guardian UK, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are able to bring the lawsuit against the Daily Mail because the copyright and ownership of letters remain with the author even after the letters are in the physical possession of another individual.

A statement by a spokesman by The Mail On Sunday says the tabloid “stands by the story it published and will be defending this case vigorously.”