The text messages Meghan Markle sent her father before marrying Prince Harry have been revealed.
Amid her ongoing lawsuit against Associated Newspapers, the Duchess of Sussex has shared numerous texts she and Harry sent her father, Thomas Markle, in the days leading up to their royal wedding on May 19, 2018.
According to court documents obtained by E! News, Harry sent Thomas numerous text messages from Meghan’s phone on May 14 – after Meghan’s dad told them he wouldn’t be attending their wedding, and refused to answer any of their phone calls.
Thomas refused to attend after he was exposed for taking part in a fake paparazzi shoot before their wedding.
In the texts, Harry said: “Tom, it’s Harry and I’m going to call you right now. Please pick up, thank you.”
Another message read: “Tom, Harry again! Really need to speak to u. U do not need to apologize, we understand the circumstances but ‘going public’ will only make the situation worse. If u love Meg and want to make it right please call me as there are two other options which don’t involve u having to speak to the media, who incidentally created this whole situation. So please call me so I can explain. Meg and I are not angry, we just need to speak to u. Thanks.”
Harry also texted Thomas to say: “Oh any speaking to the press WILL backfire, trust me Tom. Only we can help u, as we have been trying from day 1.”
The court documents also state that Meghan found out that her father had suffered a heart attack through a report on TMZ.
A day later on May 15, 2018, Meghan said in a text: “I’ve been reaching out to you all weekend but you’re not taking any of our calls or replying to any texts… Very concerned about your health and safety and have taken every measure to protect you but not sure what more we can do if you don’t respond…Do you need help? Can we send the security team down again? I’m very sorry to hear you’re in the hospital but need you to please get in touch with us… What hospital are you at?”
Shortly after, Meghan sent another text, which read, “Harry and I made a decision earlier today and are dispatching the same security guys you turned away this weekend to be a presence on the ground to make sure you’re safe… they will be there at your disposal as soon as you need them. Please please call as soon as you can.. all of this is incredibly concerning but your health is most important.”
According to court documents, Thomas refused the security offer, and said he would be in hospital for a few days.
It’s understood Meghan shared these text exchanges to prove she tried to reach out to her father numerous times before their wedding – as Thomas has previously accused the couple of ignoring him and shutting him out of their lives.
The documents were submitted to the Royal Courts of Justice for the High Court hearing this Friday between Meghan and Associated Newspapers.
Meghan is in the process of suing Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the UK Mail on Sunday, for printing a “private and confidential” letter to her estranged father.
Meghan’s father received the letter in August 2018, months before sections of it were published in the UK Mail on Sunday and on the MailOnline in February, 2019.
The handwritten letter was “obviously private correspondence” which detailed Meghan’s “deepest and most private thoughts and feelings about her relationship with her father.”
Meghan’s legal team have claimed that the newspaper “chose to deliberately omit or suppress” parts of the letter, which “intentionally distorted or manipulated” its meaning.
The Duchess’ lawyers also said that had the letter been published in full, it would have “undermined the defendant’s intended negative characterisation of the claimant”.
The mother-of-one is seeking damages from Associated Newspapers Ltd for alleged misuse of private information, copyright infringement and breach of the Data Protection Act.
Associated Newspapers have denied Meghan’s claims, and intend to fight the case in the High Court.
The Duchess’ plan to sue the newspaper was revealed late last year, in a personal statement released by her husband Prince Harry.
In an emotional message posted on their website, the Duke slammed the British press for “bullying” his wife, and said he feared “history repeating itself” – referencing his late mother, Princess Diana.
Speaking about Meghan’s decision to take legal action against Associated Newspapers, Harry said: “This particular legal action hinges on one incident in a long and disturbing pattern of behaviour by British tabloid media.”
“The contents of a private letter were published unlawfully in an intentionally destructive manner to manipulate you, the reader, and further the divisive agenda of the media group in question.”
“In addition to their unlawful publication of this private document, they purposely misled you by strategically omitting select paragraphs, specific sentences, and even singular words to mask the lies they had perpetuated for over a year.”
Check out our exclusive interview with celeb hairstylist Andrew Fitzsimons on our brand new weekly show ‘Goss Chats’, which is in association with top Irish aesthetic clinic Hause of JeJuve.
We’re also running a very exciting competition with Andrew, and the lucky winner will receive his entire Primark collection.
