The Mail article and the various articles from The Sun appeared in the first week of November 2016. Days later, Prince Harry’s office issued an extraordinary statement declaring that Mrs. Markle had been “subject to a wave of abuse and harassment” and that “almost all of the friends, co-workers and loved ones in his life” had been persecuted and, in some cases, offered money for interviews by members of the British media.
The couple has been at war with the tabloids ever since. In addition to Harry’s lawsuit, Meghan filed her own lawsuit against the Mail editor on Sunday, accusing him of violating his privacy by publishing a distressed letter he sent to his distant father. In February, a London Supreme Court ruled in her favor.
On Thursday, Harry and Meghan, who are also known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, said in a statement that Portley-Hanks’ allegations showed “that predatory practices from past days are still underway, bringing irreversible damage. for families relationships. “
Harry has always blamed the tabloids for the death of his mother, Princess Diana, who died in a car accident in Paris in 1997, following a high-speed chase by paparazzi. He even attributed his and Meghan’s decision to withdraw from royal duties and leave Britain in part to the relentless scrutiny of the news media.
“We all know what the British press can be like, and it was destroying my mental health,” Harry told British talk show host James Corden last month. “I was, like, this is toxic. So, I did what any husband and father would do – I need to get my family out of here. “
He and Meghan made similar statements in their explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey earlier this month. Portley-Hanks, who said he already regretted his actions, said these comments deepened his feeling of remorse for his role in helping to direct the tabloids to Markle and members of his family.