Newly released documents from Meghan Markle's court battle against Associated Newspapers Limited reportedly reveal she felt "unprotected" by the royal family with reference to false claims made against her by the media while pregnant.
According to UK tabloid The Sun, Meghan's lawyer claimed the pregnant Duchess of Sussex was unable to defend herself against negative press and did not receive sufficient support from the royals.
The court documents added that this left friends concerned for her welfare, especially as she was expecting her first child.
According to The Mirror, the documents say she "became the subject of a large number of false and damaging articles".
Meghan's lawyer claimed the reports, which featured specifically in papers owned by Associated Newspapers, lead to "tremendous emotional distress and damage to her mental health".
The legal battle is part of a lawsuit against the owner of the Daily Mail, which published an article containing a confidential letter she had allegedly written to her estranged father. The Daily Mail claims the letter was provided to them by Meghan's father.
The court documents also state that Meghan has identified five friends who participated in interviews with Paper Magazine, criticising her father. Meghan denies she authorised the interviews.
The documents also reveal Meghan believes her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018 brought in just under NZ$2 billion in tourism revenue to Windsor.
