Meghan Merkel has been charged with ‘collaborating’ with the authors of the book ‘Finding Freedom’ about her life with the Desk of Sussex, her High Court hearing against the publisher of the mail on Sunday will be heard today.
Meghan is suing the Associated Newspapers (ANL) over the publication of a ‘private and confidential’ handwritten letter sent to her 76-year-old father, Thomas Merkel, in August after she suffered a heart attack.
The 39-year-old Duchess insisted the note contained her “deepest and most personal thoughts and feelings” and that its publication violated her personal information misuse and data protection laws.
Meghan Merkel ‘collaborates’ with authors of ‘Finding Freedom’, to hear her High Court’s latest hearing against Mail
ANL lawyers say Meghan was a combination of author Omid Scooby (left) and Caroline Durand (right).
Meghan has taken legal action against the British media after sharing a letter sent to her after her royal wedding by her father Thomas (pictured together as a teenager).
At a recent preliminary hearing in London on Monday, ANL sought permission to amend its written defense, arguing that the authors had collaborated with the authors of the recently published book ‘Finding Freedom’ to publish versions of some of their programs.
Meghan denies that she helped with the book
ANL lawyers say five of his friends cooperated with the book the way he told People magazine about his permission to write a letter to his father.
Meghan’s lawyers denied that she had collaborated with authors Amid Scooby and Caroline Durand in the book, which was published in August, and said that any mention of her letter in the book was merely an extract from a letter raised from the defendant’s own article.
Justin Rashbrook QC said in a written submission: ‘The claimant and her husband did not cooperate with the authors of the book, nor did they interview them for it, nor did they provide photographs for the authors of the book.’
He added that neither Meghan nor Harry could speak to Mr. Scooby or Mrs. Durand, adding that “the claimant could not claim that the contents of the letter should be reproduced in the book.”
Mr Rashbrook is expected to represent Meghan for the rest of the case after the omission of his colleague David Sherburn.
Anthony White QC, representing ANL, said in a written submission that Finding Freedom gave them “every look of writing with the extensive collaboration of Meghan and Harry.”
He argued that the ANL should now be allowed to file an amendment to his defense because the book contains a description of his ‘relationship and contact with his father’ with his approval – and that Meghan allowed direct or indirect supply, and (Finding) Assists its authors with providing information about the letter or giving them permission.
Celebrity barrister David Sherburn (pictured left) is representing Meghan at the High Court hearing last week but Justice Mr Justice Verby (right) could not find her side.
ANL insisted that the Duchess let these and other personal information into the public domain by working with these authors or by giving the green light to provide details about the personal lives of her friends.
A document presented to the court, referring to Meghan as the ‘C’ (claimant): “If C provides extensive cooperation to the authors and details of her personal life are allowed, the relationship, thoughts and feelings may be revealed, the mention of her relationship and her How can he complain that this letter should not have been published, including the contact information with the father, because it contains ‘the deepest and most personal thoughts and feelings of the claimant.’
Thomas Merkel with a baby Meghan Markle. Thomas Merkel: The Channel 5 documentary, known as My Story, featured a photo that aired earlier this year.
He kept the mantle of Harry and Meghan from the fact that Thomas Merkel showed up in the memoir that he could not attend the wedding. The father and daughter have not spoken since then
Referring to the ‘book’, it goes on to say: ‘The book describes in detail C’s feelings about various personal matters, relationships and events, and attributes multiple statements about his feelings (according to D’s calculations).
‘It also mentions the great details of the events, where it makes sense to determine only C and her husband and / or perhaps a third party who did not speak to the author (such as the Queen) were present.’
Meghan’s lawyers also claimed that the ANL’s revised defense would also significantly delay the whole of early January, which is scheduled for next January.
A document submitted to the court claimed: ‘The claimant and her husband did not cooperate with the authors of the book, nor were they interviewed for it, nor did they provide photographs for the authors of the book.
‘Neither the claimant nor her husband spoke with the authors or with the objectives of the book.’
A statement from co-author Mr. Scooby was also included in the documents submitted to the ANL, with lawyers for the media group insisting they wanted to “test” his evidence in the cross-examination.
They claim that Mr. Scooby confirmed in his statement that the people who worked on behalf of ‘C (Meghan) cooperated with the writers and named people close to C who would help, and that the writers spoke to such people and received information from them. ‘
In the High Court, Master Francesca Kayeo will also rule on the cost budget of the case, which has left both parties in loggerheads.
Meghan is claiming an estimated 1.4 million in spending, which ANL is arguing is too much.
Meghan won the most recent battle in legal action last month after Mr Justice Warby ruled in her favor on behalf of five friends who gave an anonymous interview to People magazine.
The senior judge said he had decided that ‘at least for now’ Meghan should be given an order that would protect the identities of individuals after the ANL naming attempt.
