Meghan Markle Loses First Round of Legal Battle with U.K. Tabloid

Meghan Markle has waged a legal battle against a British newspaper for publishing a confidential letter she wrote to her father, Thomas Markle, at the height of their fractured relationship. The United Kingdom's High Court held its first hearing in the privacy lawsuit last month and a legal expert told Fox News the courtroom drama will become heightened if and when the Duchess and her estranged father testify against each other.

Meghan Markle has lost the first round of her High Court case against Mail On Sunday newspaper in England. Meghan filed a case against the British tabloid for printing a letter she wrote to her father, for not attending her wedding that took place in May 2018, without her consent. She sued the newspaper for invasion of privacy and copyright infringement. It was announced on March 1 that the judge dismissed a chunk of a lawsuit brought by Meghan.

The Duchess of Sussex sued Associated Newspapers for 'invasion of privacy' and 'copyright infringement' last year when articles that had excerpts of her letter she wrote in 2018 were published. 

The Duchess of Sussex sued Associated Newspapers for 'invasion of privacy' and 'copyright infringement' last year when articles that had excerpts of her letter she wrote in 2018 were published. 

By Patrick Hipes

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry had a legal setback on Friday in their court battle against a U.K. tabloid.

Meghan Markle 0, Associated Newspapers 1.

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has lost an early round in her privacy case against U.K. newspaper Mail on Sunday over its publication of a letter to her estranged father.

Meghan Markle has lost the first High Court legal battle against the publisher of the Mail On Sunday in her privacy claim against the newspaper.The Duchess of Sussex is suing British publisher Associated Newspapers over five articles published in the Mail On Sunday which featured letters exchanged between herself and her father, Thomas Markle.

Meghan Markle has lost her first High Court battle in her ongoing lawsuit against the Mail on Sunday.

The former Duchess of Sussex has lost her first round of the High Court challenge against the Mail on Sunday.

Meghan Markle has reportedly hired her late mother-in-law  Princess Diana's lawyer David Sherborne to represent her in the British tabloid case. Meghan Markle is suing Mail and its publisher Associated Newspapers for breach of data protection and infringement of copyright after they published a handwritten letter she wrote to her estranged father, Thomas Markle, post her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018. On behalf of Meghan Markle, David Sherborne will be arguing against the tabloid on Sunday.

As we told you last week, Friday was the first day of court in Meghan Markle‘s lawsuit against Associated Newspapers, owner of the Mail on Sunday and MailOnline, regarding an article published containing excerpts of a private handwritten letter to her estranged father, Thomas Markle.

Meghan Markle is taking a cue from her late mother-in-law amid her British tabloid case. The 38-year-old Duchess of Sussex has hired David Sherborne for the case. Sherborne previously worked with Princess Diana, Prince Harry's  mother, his website confirms.

A preliminary hearing opened Friday at Britain's High Court in the duchess of Sussex's legal action against a British newspaper that published what she describes as a "private and confidential" letter she wrote to her father. Meghan is suing the Mail on Sunday and its parent company, Associated Newspapers, for publishing parts of an August 2018 letter she wrote to Thomas Markle.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are listening in to a virtual High Court hearing in the first stage of legal action against a newspaper, it is understood.