The Mail article and the various articles in The Sun appeared in the first week of November 2016. Days later, Prince Harry’s office issued an extraordinary statement in which he stated that Mrs. Markle ‘was subjected to a spate of abuse and harassment’ and that ‘almost every friend, co-worker and loved one in her life’ was pursued, and in some cases offered money for interviews, by members of the British news media.
The couple has been at war with the tabloids ever since. In addition to Harry’s lawsuit, Meghan on Sunday filed her own case against the Mail publisher, accusing her of violating her privacy by publishing an anxious letter she sent to her estranged father. In February, a high court in London ruled in her favor.
On Thursday, Harry and Meghan, also known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, said in a statement that the allegations of Mr. Portley-Hanks has shown that the predatory practices of the past are still going on and that they are causing irreversible damage to families and relationships. ”
Harry blamed the tabloids for the death of his mother, Princess Diana, who died in a car accident in Paris in 1997 after a swift chase by paparazzi. He even attributed his and Meghan’s decision to withdraw from royal duties and leave Britain in part to the incessant investigation of the news media.
“We all know what the British press can be like, and it has ruined my mental health,” Harry told British talk show host James Corden last month. ‘I was, as it’s toxic. So, I did what any man and any father would do – I have to get my family out of here. ”
He and Meghan made similar demands in their explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey earlier this month. Mr Portley-Hanks, who said he already regretted his actions, said the comments deepened his sense of remorse over his role in turning the tabloids to Ms. Markle and members of her family.