Thomas Markle has a lot to say about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s legal action

‘I had to release portions to defend myself’

‘I had to release portions to defend myself’

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made waves last week as they announced they were taking legal action against the Mail on Sunday after the tabloid had published a private letter that Meghan Markle had written to her father, Thomas Markle.

'I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces', Prince Harry explained, referring to the constant online abuse his wife has faced since becoming a royal.

Meghan’s estranged father, Thomas Markle, has spoken out about the situation, following the legal action taken, claiming that he had no choice but to share the personal letter.

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According to the 75-year-old, he released parts of the letter to ‘defend’ himself after he claims he felt mischaracterised by an article in People.

‘I only released parts of the letter because other parts were so painful. The letter didn't seem loving to me. I found it hurtful,’ he explained. ‘There was no loving message in there, nothing asking about my health, nothing from her saying, “Let's get together and heal our differences”.’

He continued: ‘I was so devastated I couldn't show it to anyone - and never would have, had it not been for the People magazine piece which meant I had to release portions to defend myself.’

‘There comes a point when the only thing to do is to stand up to this behaviour, because it destroys people and destroys lives,’ Prince Harry’s original statement read. ‘Put simply, it is bullying, which scares and silences people. We all know this isn’t acceptable, at any level. We won’t and can’t believe in a world where there is no accountability for this.’

Prince Harry has since announced a legal battle against two more publications.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.