Meghan Markle to find out if privacy case will go to full trial

The Duchess of Sussex is due to find out on Thursday whether she has succeeded in a bid to have parts of her privacy claim against Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL) over its publication of a letter she wrote to her father resolved without having to go to trial.

Meghan, 39, is suing ANL, publishers of MailOnline and Mail On Sunday, for breach of copyright, infringement of her privacy, and breaches of the Data Protection Act over articles which showed parts of a letter she had written to her father, 76-year-old Thomas Markle, in August 2018.

WATCH: Harry and Meghan: a year on from leaving royal life

At the last remote court hearing in January, Meghan’s legal team said ANL had “no prospect” of defending her privacy and copyright claim, and described the publication of the letter as “a triple-barrelled invasion of her privacy rights“.

However, ANL claimed Meghan wrote the letter “with a view to it being disclosed publicly at some future point” in order “to defend her against charges of being an uncaring or unloving daughter”.

The publisher’s lawyers argued the case was “wholly unsuitable for summary judgment”.

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Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties last March

If the summary judgment is not granted, the case is set to go to trial.

It’s likely that Meghan and her estranged father Thomas would come face-to-face in court, and royal aides, past and present, could be called to testify.

A full trial had originally been due to take place at the High Court in January, but last year the case was adjourned until autumn 2021 for a “confidential” reason.

Justice Warby will deliver his ruling at 4pm on Thursday.

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