Thomas Markle could be called to testify against Meghan in legal battle

The Duchess of Sussex's estranged father Thomas Markle might be set to testify against her in her legal battle with the Mail on Sunday, High Court documents have revealed.

Meghan is suing the newspaper and its parent company Associated Newspapers, after accusing it of unlawfully publishing a private letter she wrote to Mr Markle in the lead up to her wedding to Prince Harry.

Thomas Markle's evidence will make up part of the Mail on Sunday's defence against Meghan's allegation of breach of privacy, copyright and data protection, according to the High Court documents. This means that should the case go to trial, the father and daughter could be called to testify against one another.

The legal documents included that Mr Markle 'had a weighty right to tell his version of what happened between himself and his daughter including the contents of the letter'.

The Mail on Sunday refutes the claims put forward by Meghan's legal team, and is set to argue that it was justified in printing extracts from the letter due to the 'huge and legitimate' public interest in the 'personal relationships' of members of the royal family.

The High Court documents also suggest the paper will claim Meghan and other royals 'rely on publicity about themselves and their lives to maintain the privileged positions they hold'.

The news comes just 24 hours after the Queen publicly gave her blessing for Harry and Meghan to step back as senior royals and begin a 'new life' as an 'independent' family.

Buckingham Palace also confirmed the Sussexes would begin a 'transition period' in which they would split their time between the UK and Canada, where Meghan is currently staying with their son Archie.