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Duchess of Sussex: Meghan and Harry book can be used in privacy case | |
(32 minutes later) | |
The Mail on Sunday can use a recent biography of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in its defence, in a High Court privacy claim over the publication of a letter to Meghan's estranged father. | The Mail on Sunday can use a recent biography of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in its defence, in a High Court privacy claim over the publication of a letter to Meghan's estranged father. |
The paper said Meghan gave information to the Finding Freedom authors in order to set out her own version of events. | |
But Meghan's lawyers said accusations they "collaborated" with the authors were a "conspiracy theory". | But Meghan's lawyers said accusations they "collaborated" with the authors were a "conspiracy theory". |
The judge said the publisher can amend its defence to rely on the biography. | The judge said the publisher can amend its defence to rely on the biography. |
Judge Francesca Kaye refused the duchess permission to appeal against the ruling, but her lawyers can still take the case to the Court of Appeal. | |
The duchess is suing for breach of privacy and copyright infringement after articles in February 2019 reproduced parts of a handwritten letter she had sent to Thomas Markle. | |
Meghan claims the letter was "private and confidential" and "detailed her intimate thoughts and feelings about her father's health and her relationship with him at that time". | |
The Mail's publisher denies the allegations and argues the duchess had no reasonable expectation of privacy and anticipated publication of the letter. | |
In the recent biography Finding Freedom, Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand describe a culture of increasing tension between the Sussexes and other members of the Royal Family. | |
The Mail claimed that Meghan gave the authors information about the letter to Mr Markle "in order to set out her own version of events in a way that is favourable to her". | |
But Meghan's lawyers argued that references to the letter in the book were simply "extracts from the letter lifted from the defendant's own articles". | |
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex issued a statement at the time of the book's publication in July to say they had not been interviewed for the book "and did not contribute" to it. | |
The couple are now based in California, having stepped back as senior royals at the end of March. | |
The High Court case is scheduled to begin in January next year. | The High Court case is scheduled to begin in January next year. |