Meghan Markle has issued a statement using the words “daily fail” after a High Court ruled that the Mail on Sunday could not overturn an earlier finding that it had breached her privacy.
In a statement following the court’s decision, the Duchess of Sussex said it was a victory “for anyone who has ever felt scared to stand up for what’s right”.
“The courts have held the defendant to account, and my hope is that we all begin to do the same.
“Because as far removed as it may seem from your personal life, it’s not. These harmful practices don’t happen once in a blue moon – they are a daily fail that divide us, and we all deserve better.”
In 2019, the Duchess of Sussex, 40, sued Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over the publication of five articles that reproduced portions of a private letter she had written to her estranged father, Thomas Markle.
Earlier this year, the High Court ruled in Markle’s favour, finding that publication of the letter was unlawful.
ANL brought an appeal against the decision, arguing that the case should go to trial.
Handing down the decision today, High Court judges said the letters were “personal, private and not matters of legitimate public interest”.
“The judge had correctly decided that, whilst it might have been proportionate to publish a very small part of the letter for that purpose, it was not necessary to publish half the contents of the letter,” they said of the earlier decision.
In her statement, the Duchess of Sussex said the ruling is a victory “for anyone who has ever felt scared to stand up for what’s right”.
“While this win is precedent setting, what matters most is that we are now collectively brave enough to reshape a tabloid industry that conditions people to be cruel, and profits from the lies and pain that they create.”
