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 In a lengthy, emotional statement, Prince Harry said on Tuesday
that the couple had taken legal action in response to what he
called "bullying" by some sections of the British press.
"Though this action may not be the safe one, it is the right
one," he said.
"My deepest fear is history repeating itself. I've seen what
happens when someone I love is commoditized to the point that
they are no longer treated or seen as a real person. I lost my
mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same
powerful forces."
His mother, Princess Diana, became one of the most photographed
women on the planet after she married into the British royal
family.
She died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 after being followed
through the streets by photographers. Her funeral was watched by
hundreds of millions of people around the world.
Schillings, the law firm representing Markle, described the
publication of her letter as part of a "campaign by this media
group to publish false and deliberately derogatory stories about
her, as well as her husband.
"...We have issued proceedings to redress this breach of
privacy, infringement of copyright and the aforementioned media
agenda." It did not give details about the letter in question or
publication date.
In his statement, Prince Harry said the newspaper had "purposely
misled (readers) by strategically omitting select paragraphs,
specific sentences, and even singular words."
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The Mail on Sunday denied the account.
"The Mail on Sunday stands by the story it published and will be
defending this case vigorously," said a spokesman. "Specifically, we
categorically deny that the Duchess’s letter was edited in any way
that changed its meaning."
Schillings said the case was being paid for privately by Prince
Harry and Markle, who are also known as the Duke and Duchess of
Sussex.
The royal couple have been touring southern Africa together with
their baby son, Archie. The prince visited the same landmine
clearance project in Angola that Diana had been to see just a few
months before her death.
The 35-year-old prince, who is Queen Elizabeth's grandson and sixth
in line to the throne, said the legal action had been "many months
in the making".
He referred to the "double standards" of some elements of the
tabloid press, which have written critical articles about the couple
in recent months but provided largely positive coverage of their
ongoing tour.
"I have been a silent witness to her private suffering for too long.
To stand back and do nothing would be contrary to everything we
believe in," he added.
(Additional reporting by Paul Sandle; writing by Mike Collett-White;
Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Lisa Shumaker)
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