Meghan Markle has branded her father a liar and denied she knew her influential friends planned to reveal details of her deteriorating relationship with him to an American magazine, new court papers have revealed.
Text messages revealed in new court documents claim the Duke and Duchess of Sussex tried to protect Thomas Markle in the days leading up to their wedding while he was forced to drop out of the lavish Windsor Castle wedding due to his failing health.
The Duchess of Sussex also states Thomas Markle did not answer truthfully when asked if had colluded with a photographer to stage pictures of him in the weeks leading up to the 19 May 2018 ceremony.
The 37-year-old actress also maintains she was unaware that five close friends had chosen to intervene in the growing public debate about her relationship with her father by giving interviews to People magazine for an article published in February 2019.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex leaving the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, London on Commonwealth Day, on March 9 this year
The revelations come in new documents submitted to the Royal Courts of Justice for the High Court hearing this Friday between the Duchess of Sussex and the Associated Newspapers.
The Duchess alleges invasion of privacy, breach of copyright and misuse of personal data over the publication of excerpts of a letter to her father about his treatment of her in February 2019. The Mail on Sunday argues that as a member of the royal family the Duchess did not have a reasonable expectation of privacy and that that there was no agreement with Thomas Markle that the letter should remain private.
The series of text messages from Prince Harry and his bride-to-be Meghan Markle reveal how they questioned Thomas Markle’s reason for dropping out of wedding but continued to offer him protection and urged him not to talk to the press.
In one message Prince Harry says; ‘If u love Meg and want to make it right please call me’, and in another Meghan says; ‘Very concerned about your health and safety’.
Meghan Markle pictured with her father Thomas Markle. Text messages revealed in new court documents claim the Duke and Duchess of Sussex tried to protect Thomas Markle in the days leading up to their wedding
But Thomas Markle feels aggrieved, saying; ‘I’m sorry my heart attack is there any inconvenience for you’.
The papers submitted today by the Duchess’ legal team also state: ‘Mr Markle did not answer truthfully when asked about the photographs taken and staged by a paparazzo photographer…
‘Despite discovering that he had not told her the truth, with all the distress this caused her, the Claimant [Duchess of Sussex] was still focused on finding a way for him to travel to London safely [for her wedding], and the Claimant [Duchess of Sussex] tried to reassure her father that there was no ill feeling between them.’
The papers also maintain Meghan Markle’s position that she did not know that five of her closest and most influential friends had agreed to give interviews to People magazine, a US celebrity publication, to fight her corner in the growing public debate about her relationship with her father.
Thomas Markle showing souvenirs he keeps on mantle of Harry and Meghan during the Channel 5 documentary called Thomas Markle: My Story Channel, that aired earlier this year
The documents revealed how her friends discovered Duchess of Sussex was distressed during visits to her London, but Meghan Markle states she had no idea they were going to speak out on her behalf on the issue of her father.
That article published on 18 February 2019 referred to bitter and heart-felt letters exchanged between Meghan Markle and her father Thomas.
The documents state: ‘It is admitted that People magazine, a US title, published articles based on interviews given by five unnamed friends of the Claimant in its 18 February 2019 hard copy and online edition and that these interviews contained the text quoted therein.
‘It is further admitted that in the course of these lengthy articles, a brief and passing reference was made to the Letter (as well as the response from the Claimant’s [Duchess of Sussex] father [Thomas Markle].
‘This reference was neither the main focus nor any substantial part of the articles.
‘Further, it did not contain the detailed contents of the Letter and insofar as it purported to summarise the Letter and the Claimant’s [Duchess of Sussex] purpose in sending it was completely wrong.’
The papers reveal that whilst the Duchess appreciated that her close friends were concerned and distressed at the media coverage about her and were trying to help she had no idea they had planned to give interviews to People magazine.
A picture of Meghan Markle and Thomas Markle that appeared on the Channel 5 documentary that aired in January this year called, Thomas Markle: My Story
The documents state: ‘In fact, the Claimant [Duchess of Sussex] did not know that a number of her friends agreed to give an interview about her to People magazine.
‘As she later discovered, following visits to see her in London at the beginning of 2019, some of her close circle of friends became extremely concerned at the aggressive attacks upon her in the media and the palpable and profound impact which this was having upon her, especially as she was vulnerable as well as heavily pregnant at the time.
‘As a result, one of her closest friends decided that they should help by arranging to give anonymous interviews to this American magazine whose Editor was a very good friend of hers in which they might explain what
the Claimant [Duchess of Sussex] was truly like (as opposed to the tabloid portrayal of her).’
The latest court papers also reveal how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex still tried to help and protect Thomas Markle despite the growing chasm between them in the lead up to the wedding at Windsor Castle on 19 Mary 2018, in a series of texts.
The messages reveal how Prince Harry urged Mr Markle to stop engaging with journalists and photographers for the love of his daughter and warned him contacting the press would ‘backfire’.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visited Canada House, in London, on January 7 this year
On 14th May, five days before the wedding and days after Thomas Markle was exposed for colluding with the paparazzo photographer staging photographs he sent a text to his daughter Meghan confirming he would not be attending her wedding.
The documents state: ‘It is correct that on 14 May 2018, Mr Markle did send the claimant [Duchess of Sussex] a text message to apologise and confirm that he would not be attending the wedding, and approximately 30 minutes later (after several calls to him went unanswered) the Claimant’s husband [Duke of Sussex] sent a message to Mr Markle from the Claimant’s [Meghan’s] telephone.
The Duke of Sussex wrote: ‘Tom, Harry again! Really need to speak to u.
‘U do not need to apologize (sic), 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.
‘Oh any speaking to the press WILL backfire, trust me Tom. Only we can help u, as we have been trying from day 1.’
On 14th May, after receiving Prince Harry’s text, Thomas Markle issued a public statement through celebrity news website TMZ to say he was going to hospital after suffering a heart attack.
Thomas Markle with a baby Meghan Markle. A picture shown in the Channel 5 documentary called Thomas Markle: My Story, that aired earlier this year
The Duchess responded to the news in text messages to her father asking about his health and offering protection that went unanswered, the court documents reveal.
On 15 May 2018, four days before the wedding, she wrote: ‘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?’
After not hearing back from her father The Duchess of Sussex followed up this text about ten minutes later saying that she and Harry had decided to send the security anyway.
She wrote: ‘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’.
Mr Markle responded to this simply saying he would be in hospital for a few days and was okay but refused the offer of security, the documents reveal.
They state: ‘While Mr Markle responded later that evening to say that he appreciated the offer but did not feel in danger and would instead recover at a motel, the Claimant responded 10 minutes later to make a further request for the hospital details so that she would know where he was.’
The defence document filed by Associated Newspapers sets out that Mr Markle underwent emergency heart surgery on May 16, 2018, and that he texted his daughter on the same day to let her know he would not be able to attend the wedding as his doctors would not allow him to fly.
The document states: ‘He told the claimant he loved her and wished her the best.
‘He sent a follow-up message asking who would ‘be giving [her] away?’ and saying that if she really needed him he would come, and that he was sorry ‘about all this’.
Meghan Markle, as a teenager, pictured with father Thomas Markle. The image was shown in the Channel 5 documentary called Thomas Markle: My Story, that aired earlier this year
‘In response, he received a text response signed ‘Love M and H’, but which read as if it was from Prince Harry, (amongst other things) admonishing Mr Markle for talking to the press and telling him to stop, and accusing Mr Markle of causing hurt to his daughter.
‘The text did not ask how the surgical procedure had gone or how Mr Markle was or send him good wishes.
‘Mr Markle was deeply hurt and responded with a curt message: ‘I’ve done nothing to hurt you Meghan or anyone else I know nothing about 20 phone calls I’m sorry my heart attack is there any inconvenience for you’, and a couple more short messages.’
The Duke of Sussex was so concerned by this message that he questioned Thomas Markle whether the message was really from him.
On 16 May 2018, three days before the wedding he wrote: ‘Tom, it’s Harry, please answer your phone. I need to know this is actually you because it doesn’t sound like you at all.’
The documents stated: ‘It is admitted and averred that following this unpleasant message (which she [Duchess of Sussex] was unsure came from her father [Thomas Markle]), her repeated telephone calls to him, his failure to pick up the phone to her many calls or even respond to the message to him from the Claimant’s husband [Duke of Sussex] pleading with him to do so, the Claimant [Duchess of Sussex] did not speak to her father before her wedding, which took place shortly after on 19 May [2018].’
Thomas Markle finally called his daughter on the morning of her wedding, but the 4.57am phone call on 19 May 2018 went unanswered and father and daughter have not spoken since, legal documents have revealed.
The hearing will take place by video conference on Friday.