London - 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.