The dynamics that led to what commonly became known as “Megxit” perhaps became a little clearer this week. Court documents produced during Meghan Markle’s copyright infringement and breach of privacy trial against several British tabloids indicate a culture of suppression within the monarchy when it came to allowing the Duchess of Sussex to publicly defend herself against vicious and ongoing media attacks that only escalated when she became pregnant with her first child.
According to Vanity Fair, much of what is actually at stake in the case is whether Markle quietly granted permission to the five friends who spoke to People magazine for a cover story which led to the Mail on Sunday’s publication of excerpts of a letter written to estranged father Thomas Markle. However, what court documents also revealed is how vulnerable Markle felt during these and other incidents that occurred during her pregnancy since royal protocol wouldn’t allow her to speak in her own defense; nor would Buckingham Palace dignify the majority of the claims by defending her publicly.
A Black Man Was Tortured and Killed in Denmark. The Police Insist It Wasn’t About Race.
Vanity Fair reports:
According to the documents, it has also emerged that Meghan felt “unprotected” by the “institution” of the royal family when there was a wave of negative stories about her in the press. In what is likely to be highly embarrassing for the royal family, who have tried to bury the drama from Harry and Meghan’s exit at the beginning of the year, Meghan’s lawyers claim she could not defend herself against the many false claims leveled against her while she was pregnant. Her lawyers singled out the Mail on Sunday for its use of “distortive, manipulative, and dishonest tactics to target the Duchess of Sussex,” which have now “been put on full display.”
Of course, with Markle and husband Prince Harry relinquishing the roles of senior royals, both are able to speak more openly on any number of issues, including the Black Lives Matter movement. Meghan did so during a videotaped commencement speech in June, but on Wednesday, Harry also invoked the movement in a video message during the virtual Diana Awards, an annual awards ceremony named for his mother that highlights philanthropic U.K. youth and took place on what would have been Princess Diana’s 59th birthday (h/t Marie Claire).
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