Meghan & Harry latest news – Relationship with Duchess totally OVER says dad Thomas Markle who slams her 'lies' letter
THE "heartfelt" and "painful" letter Meghan Markle wrote to her father Thomas actually ended their relationship, a court has heard.
The "anguished" Duchess said she felt forced to write the "painful" letter as "a heartfelt plea from an anguished daughter to her father," Thomas.
In a sensational witness statement, Thomas Markle claimed the letter was a "criticism" of him. And he said it actually "signalled the end of our relationship" – rather than be the "reconciliation" letter pals claimed it was.
The Duchess of Sussex, 39, is suing the Mail on Sunday for privacy copyright and data protection over five articles published in February 2019.
Follow our Meghan and Harry live blog below for the very latest news on the couple and the Royal Family
- Catriona Graffius
PRINCE HARRY TO TAKE PART IN PRINCE PHILIP'S 100TH BIRTHDAY
Prince Harry will take part in Prince Philip's 100th birthday celebration this summer as he reaches out to the royal family after Megxit, it's reported.
The royal – who has spent the pandemic in his LA mansion with wife Meghan Markle and the couple's son Archie – is understood to be hoping to see his family on a number of occasions this year.
One of the events will be his grandfather's birthday on June 10 this year.
The Duke of Sussex hopes to return to the UK for the celebrations, it's reported in US magazine People.
- Catriona Graffius
MEGXIT 'BIGGEST SELLOUT' IN ROYAL HISTORY, SAYS EXPERT
Megxit was the “biggest sellout” in royal history according an expert who claims Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are “catastrophic” for the family.
Former royal correspondent for The Sun Duncan Larcombe appeared on True Royalty TV’s The Royal Beat to mark a year since the couple stepped down as senior members of the royal family.
And while the biographer is convinced that Harry and Meghan could become a billion-dollar brand through their business deals he says it is at the expense of the Royal Family.
Larcombe tells The Royal Beat: “A year ago they [Harry and Meghan] were saying they want privacy and to bring their child up in peace – codswallop!
“We now know what it is. The evidence is there. It was the biggest royal sellout in the history of the family."
- Catriona Graffius
MEGHAN MARKLE FACES SECOND DAY OF COURT SHUTDOWN BID
Meghan Markle is facing the second day of her bid to avoid a High Court showdown with her dad after he claimed her bombshell letter made her look "terrible".
The Duchess of Sussex, 39, is fighting for a "summary judgment" that would scrap any need for a high-profile trial with witnesses.
She is suing the Mail on Sunday for privacy copyright and data protection over five articles published in February 2019.
Top judges at the High Court in London will now decide whether to push on or decide on Meghan's claims now.
If the case goes ahead, both Thomas Markle and Meghan could take to the stand in the high-profile trial.
- Catriona Graffius
PRINCE ANDREW ACCUSER VIRGINIA ROBERTS QUITS TWITTER OVER TROLLING
Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Roberts quit Twitter this week after claiming the duke and his advisers targeted her with “hatred and abuse”.
It follows allegations that Andrew’s aides contacted an online troll in a bid to discredit the 37-year-old, who has alleged she was forced to have sex with the royal.
According to the Mail on Sunday, advisers of the duke and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson contacted Molly Skye Brown after she trolled Virginia on Twitter for months.
The report claims Sarah Ferguson’s aide Antonia Marshall approached the troll and thanked her for her “online support” after Ms Brown alleged online that the notorious photo of Andrew with Virginia Roberts had been “doctored”.
Now, Ms Roberts, who is now happily married and uses the surname Guiffre, has announced she is leaving Twitter after receiving vile abuse.
- Catriona Graffius
QUEEN LEADS ROYAL FAMILY IN WISHING COUNTESS OF WESSEX 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY'
The Queen led the Royal Family in wishing the Countess of Wessex a happy birthday today.
The wife of Prince Edward, Sophie turned 56 today.
The Countess is believed to be spending the day with her family Bagshot Park.
A message on the official Royal Family Instagram page read: 'Wishing The Countess of Wessex a very happy birthday today!'
Sophie's birthday celebrations are expected to be a muted affair due to lockdown with Prince Edward and their two children – Lady Louise Windsor, 17, and James Viscount Severn, 13.
- Catriona Graffius
DUCHESS OF CORNWALL CHOOSES FIRST FOUR BOOKS FOR NEW READING INITIATIVE
The Duchess of Cornwall has chosen the first four books for her new drive to get lockdown Brits reading.
Camilla, a backer of The Sun’s Books for Schools campaign, has launched her own Reading Room, where titles can be debated online.
The first batch will be The Mirror and The Light by Hilary Mantel, Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, Restless by William Boyd and The Architect’s Apprentice by Elif Shafak.
Camilla said: “To me, reading is a great adventure. I’ve loved it since I was very small and I’d love everybody else to enjoy it as much as I do.
"You can escape and you can travel and you can laugh and you can cry. There’s every kind of emotion that humans experience in a book."
- Catriona Graffius
PRINCE HARRY LEFT HEARTBROKEN AFTER MEGXIT, SAYS ITV PAL TOM BRADBY
Prince Harry has been left heartbroken by the situation with his family after moving to the US, says pal Tom Bradby.
But the ITV news anchor believes the Sussexes are “content” with their new situation— and are excited by their projects.
He told Love Your Weekend With Alan Titchmarsh, shown on ITV tomorrow: “I think they are content, the things they are doing they are quite excited by.
"I think Harry is heartbroken.
"You don’t necessarily need to have the knowledge to know that, but I think it is true."
- Catriona Graffius
LEWIS HAMILTON AND MARCUS RASHFORD FACE YEAR-LONG WAIT BEFORE RECEIVING GONGS FROM QUEEN
Lewis Hamilton, Marcus Rashford and hundreds of NHS heroes face a wait of more than a year before they get their gongs from the Queen.
Investiture ceremonies have been postponed for the past nine months due to Covid restrictions — with none planned this year.
It means there is a backlog of about 3,300 people — including Mary Berry and Olivia Newton-John — still waiting for their knighthoods, damehoods OBEs, MBEs and CBEs.
And the list is set to grow by another 1,200 this summer when the Queen’s Birthday Honours are announced.
Palace insiders insist everyone will receive their gong personally at a ceremony from Her Majesty or a senior royal.
- Catriona Graffius
MEGHAN FACES SECOND DAY IN BID TO AVOID COURT SHOWDOWN
Meghan Markle is facing the second day of her bid to avoid a High Court showdown with her dad after he claimed her bombshell letter made her look "terrible".
The Duchess of Sussex, 39, is fighting for a "summary judgment" that would scrap any need for a high-profile trial with witnesses.
She is suing the Mail on Sunday for privacy copyright and data protection over five articles published in February 2019.
Top judges at the High Court in London will now decide whether to push on or decide on Meghan's claims now.
If the case goes ahead, both Thomas Markle and Meghan could take to the stand in the high-profile trial.
- Catriona Graffius
PRINCESS EUGENIE 'WILL WELCOME FIRST CHILD IN MID-FEBRUARY', CLAIMS ROYAL INSIDER
This year is set to be life-changing for Princess Eugenie as she prepares to become a mum for the first time.
According to HELLO!, The Queen's granddaughter is expected to give birth in a matter of weeks.
A royal insider told the publication that Princess Eugenie will welcome her baby in "mid-February".
The publication claims the mum-to-be, 30, and her husband Jack Brooksbank have moved back into Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Windsor home Frogmore Cottage.
- Catriona Graffius
PRINCESS DIANA GIGGLES AT SIGHT OF PRINCE CHARLES IN HARD HAT IN UNSEEN FOOTAGE
As any diehard fans of Netflix's The Crown will already know, Princess Diana and Prince Charles embarked on their royal tour of Australia in 1985 with baby Prince William in tow.
But two years later, the couple – who had been married for four years – made the journey again to celebrate the state of Victoria's 150th anniversary.
On October 28, the royal couple visited the Alcoa Aluminium Smelter Project where they had to don hard hats to walk around the centre.
In a resurfaced clip from the day, Princess Diana is seen laughing hysterically as her husband puts on the hat – which had "HRH Prince of Wales" written across the front.
Walking a couple of steps behind him, Diana tries her best to stifle her chuckles by covering her mouth with her hand – but it doesn't go unnoticed by Charles.
Unseen footage shows Princess Diana in hysterics at sight of Prince Charles wearing a hard hat
- Catriona Graffius
MEGHAN'S DAD MAKING DOCUMENTARY ABOUT HIS LIFE AND MEGHAN
Thomas Markle is making a documentary film about his life — and daughter Meghan.
It comes as a personal letter from Meghan to him is at the centre of a bitter High Court privacy battle.
Award-winning lighting director Thomas is working with a cinematographer and hopes to have it completed later this year.
It comes after Meghan, 39, and Harry, 36, reportedly agreed to make a fly-on-the-wall documentary for Netflix.
Thomas, 76, took part in a documentary last year, which aired on Channel 5, but hopes this will be a more “complete” picture.
- Catriona Graffius
MEGHAN AND HARRY SURPRISED KATE WITH 'THOUGHTFUL GIFTS' ON HER BIRTHDAY
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry surprised Kate Middleton with “thoughtful gifts” on her 39th birthday, a source has claimed.
The Duchess of Cambridge is said to have enjoyed “low-key” celebrations at her home in Norfolk with husband Prince William and their three children, George, Charlotte, and Louis last weekend.
The Sussexes, now based in Santa Barbara, California, are thought to have sent over a thoughtful card, as well as gifts to their sister-in-law.
A source told US Weekly: “It was a nice surprise. Kate wasn’t expecting anything from the couple.”
The magazine also claimed that Kate had been “showered with gifts” by William, including a pair of diamond earrings.
- Catriona Graffius
MEGHAN WARNED DAD HE COULD RISK HER CHILDREN'S PRIVACY WITH STAGED PAPARAZZI SHOTS
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry warned her dad he could risk their children's privacy if he staged paparazzi shots, a court heard today.
The Duchess of Sussex, 39, is suing the Mail on Sunday for privacy copyright and data protection over five articles published in February 2019.
This includes extracts from a handwritten letter she sent to her dad Thomas Markle, 76, in August 2018.
Lawyers for the Duchess today revealed Meghan and Prince Harry asked if he was staging photos, to which he told them he wasn't.
Thomas Markle was then told he could risk the privacy of any children they may end up having if he were found to be lying. The couple's son Archie was not born at this time.
- Catriona Graffius
HEARTFELT PLEA
A lawyer for the Duchess of Sussex earlier told the High Court the publication of the "intrinsically private, personal and sensitive" letter was a "triple-barrelled invasion of her privacy rights".
He said it was not "a vicious or unwarranted attack" on her dad but was instead "a message of peace".
The last line – included in court documents – read: "I ask for nothing other than peace and I wish the same for you."
The papers add: "It is a heartfelt plea from an anguished daughter to her father (the word 'pain' or 'painful' appears no fewer than five times), begging him to stop talking to the press."
Mr Rushbrooke said: "It was written, in short, by daughter who felt she had reached a breaking point with her father."
- Catriona Graffius
MEGHAN MARKLE'S DAD CLAIMS 'HEARTFELT' LETTER 'SHUT' HIM OUT
Meghan Markle's dad claims her "heartfelt" letter actually "shut" him out and ended their relationship.
The Duchess of Sussex, 39, is said to have felt forced to write a "painful" letter to her dad after they reached "breaking point".
But in a sensational witness statement, Thomas Markle claimed the letter was a "criticism" of him.
And he said it actually "signalled the end of our relationship" – rather than be the "reconciliation" letter pals claimed it was.
- Catriona Graffius
DELAY EXPECTED ON EUGENIE REVEALING BABY'S NAME
Princess Eugenie is expecting her first child with Jack Brooksbank in early 2021, and while royal parents typically announce the name a couple of days after the birth, the couple may decide to break with tradition.
While the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge typically have taken around two days to announce the names of their newborns, other royals have waited a little longer to confirm the names of their youngsters.
The Duke and Duchess of York and did not formally announce Eugenie's older sister Princess Beatrice's name until almost two weeks after her birth in August 1988.
It's thought that Eugenie and Jack may also decide to wait a while before releasing their little one's name to the public.
- Claire Hubble
MEG'S DAD PUSHED FOR TRIAL: 'I COULD DIE TOMORROW'
The blockbuster court case between the Duchess of Sussex and the Mail on Sunday has been delayed several times, but Meghan Markle's estranged father Thomas says he was eager for the trial to press ahead as soon as possible.
In a witness statement previously read before the court, Thomas said: "I am a realist and I could die tomorrow.
"The sooner this case takes place the better."
The case – one of several brought recently by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex against media organisations – was filed by Meghan's lawyers in September 2019.
It was due to be heard at the High Court this month but was adjourned for nine months due to a "confidential" reason.
- Claire Hubble
HEARTBROKEN THOMAS SAYS LETTER IS A 'TOTAL LIE'
Speaking of the "painful" letter Meghan Markle sent to her dad saying "I love you," , Thomas Markle, 76, said: “The letter didn’t say she loved me. It showed no concern about the fact I had suffered a heart attack.”
Meghan, 39, is suing the Mail on Sundayover the publication of letter extracts.
The interview with five of the Duchess of Sussex’s “best friends” said “heartbroken” Meghan had written “I love you” and begged for him to stop “victimising” her in the Press.
But her furious father states: “When I read the article ‘The Truth About Meghan’ in People magazine I was shocked by what it said about me. It was a total lie.
“It misrepresented the tone and content of the letter Meg had written me in August 2018. I quickly decided I wanted to correct that misrepresentation.”
As a result, Thomas, 76, passed the letter to the Mail on Sunday.
He says: “It seemed to me that the article had either been expressly authorised by Meg or she had at the very least known about and approved of its publication.
"I believed (and still believe) that Meghan wanted her account of the letter to be published.”
- Claire Hubble
MEGHAN AND HARRY 'OPTIMISTIC ABOUT 2021'
There's no denying that 2020 was a game-changing year for Meghan and Harry – and an expert has claimed the royal couple are "optimistic" about what 2021 has in store.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, Omid Scobie said: "I think they’re excited and optimistic about 2021 when everything will come to realization.
“We’ll see the fruits of their labour— Archewell, Netflix. I think it’s the year we will get to see what their legacy will be."
The co-author of Finding Freedom also claimed that 2020 had been a "rollercoaster" for Meghan and Harry after they quit the Royal Family in January.
- Claire Hubble
MEG WARNED DAD HE'D RISK KIDS' PRIVACY BY POSING FOR PICS
Meghan Markle warned her dad he could risk their children's privacy if he staged paparazzi shots, a court heard today during her court battle against the Mail on Sunday, who she is suing for privacy copyright and data protection over five articles published in February 2019.
Lawyers for the Duchess today revealed Meghan and Prince Harry asked if her dad, Thomas Markle, was staging photos, to which he told them he wasn't.
Thomas was then told he could risk the privacy of any children they may end up having if he were found to be lying. The couple's son Archie was not born at this time.
Justin Rushbrooke QC said the issue was a "matter of concern" as the Duke and Duchess were ready to "go into bat" with a legal complaint to stop the pictures being run if he hadn't staged them.
- Claire Hubble
THOMAS MARKLE SAYS LETTER 'ENDED RELATIONSHIP' WITH MEG
Thomas Markle's dad claims his daughter's "heartfelt" letter actually "shut" him out and ended their relationship.
The Duchess of Sussex, 39, is said to have felt forced to write a "painful" letter to her dad after they reached "breaking point".
In a sensational witness statement, during her ongoing court battle against the Mail on Sunday, Thomas Markle claimed the letter was a "criticism" of him.
And he said it actually "signalled the end of our relationship" – rather than be the "reconciliation" letter pals claimed it was.
He referred to an article five anonymous friends gave to People magazine in which the letter was mentioned.
Thomas Markle slammed the magazine for suggesting he was "to blame for the end of the relationship" as he had "ignored her".
He added: "That was false. I had repeatedly tried to reach her after the wedding but I couldn't find a way of getting her to talk to me."
- Claire Hubble
WHAT'S MEGHAN'S NET WORTH?
Meghan Markle, wife of Prince Harry, was a popular US TV actress before swapping television sets for palaces and royal galas when she married in 2018. But what is her net worth?
According to Business Insider, Meghan has an estimated net worth of £3.8million ($5million) which she accumulated from her acting career.
She starred in over 100 episodes of the legal drama Suits, where she was paid £40,463 ($50,000) per episode – according to knownetworth.com, towards the end of her acting career.
Meghan earned around about £291,339 ($360,000) from her roles in the 2010 movies Remember Me and The Candidate.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry’s net worth is reported to be at least £19.2million ($25million), which is made up of an inheritance from Princess Diana and an annual allowance from Prince Charles.
- Claire Hubble
ARCHWELL 'WILL FAIL' IF HARRY AND MEGHAN FAIL ON 'PUBLIC SACRIFICE AND PUBLIC SERVICE'
Princess Diana's former chief of staff, Patrick Jephson, has warned Archwell will 'fail' unless they move too far from the royal model of 'personal sacrifice and public service'.
A report in the Daily Express quotes Jephson, saying: "If it departs very much from that great tradition of personal sacrifice and public service that defines the monarchy brand then I don’t believe it will succeed.
"One could argue that, at it's best, membership of the Royal Family gives you access to the most extraordinary and powerful brand in the world.
"To voluntarily divest yourselves of all those advantages in pursuit of something else is very daring – and we don't even know what that something else is."
- Claire Hubble
MEGHAN'S EX LABELS HIMSELF 'TALENTLESS'
Meghan Markle's ex husband, whom she dated for around a decade in her 20s and 30s, has made damning comments about his own career.
According to the book Meghan: A Hollywood Princess, he originally wanted to direct films but doubted his ability to do so.
He said: “I realised you needed talent to do that, so that was out of the window.”
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