Prince Harry, Meghan Markle seal royal wedding with a kiss
Thousands of well-wishers cheering the royal newlyweds; Greg Palkot reports from Windsor, England.
As part of her legal case, new court documents show the communication between Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, and Markle's father Thomas Markle, in the days ahead of their royal wedding.
In a filing with the U.K. High Court in London on Monday -- and ahead of her Friday court hearing -- the Duchess of Sussex, in response to a lawsuit against Associated Newspapers, brings to light the exchanges she and Harry attempted to establish with her father in the "lead-up to the wedding" where he was to walk his daugther down the aisle on May 19, 2018.
On May 14, 2018, Thomas Markle confirmed he would not be attending the wedding, and after trying to call him for about 30 minutes, Harry texted Thomas, according to the documents.
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“Tom, Harry again! Really need to speak to u. U do not need to apologize, we understand the circumstances but ‘going public’ will only make the situation worse,” Harry texted from Meghan’s cellular device on May 14, 2018, per the papers.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at their royal wedding in May 2018. (AP, File)
“If u love Meg and want to make it right please call me as there are two other options which don’t involve u having to speak to the media, who incidentally created this whole situation,” he wrote. “So please call me so I can explain. Meg and I are not angry, we just need to speak to u. Thanks.”
“Oh any speaking to the press WILL backfire, trust me Tom. Only we can help u, as we have been trying from day 1,” Harry told his father-in-law-to-be.
Thomas Markle allegedly didn’t respond to the couple at the time, and would later share with TMZ that he had gone to the hospital after he experienced a heart attack, which is the first Meghan knew of it, according to the docs. He ultimately missed the wedding.
What’s more, the Duchess, 38, made further attempts to contact her father on May 15, 2018, and explained to her father that she was “very concerned” about his health and offered a security detail to stand by his side.
Per the docs, in response to a message from her father, Meghan Markle sent a May 15 text message, writing: "I’ve been reaching out to you all weekend but you’re not taking any of our calls or replying to any texts… Very concerned about your health and safety and have taken every measure to protect you but not sure what more we can do if you don’t respond…Do you need help? Can we send the security team down again? I’m very sorry to hear you’re in the hospital but need you to please get in touch with us….What hospital are you at?”
Meghan then sent a follow-up text to her dad some 10 minutes later, the documents show.
“Harry and I made a decision earlier today and are dispatching the same security guys you turned away this weekend to be a presence on the ground to make sure you’re safe... they will be there at your disposal as soon as you need them,” her message stated, according to the court papers. “Please please call as soon as you can.. all of this is incredibly concerning but your health is most important.”
The legal filing alleges that Thomas Markle refused his daughter’s offer of security but said that he was OK.
Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during a walkabout on the esplanade at Edinburgh Castle, Scotland, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018. (Andrew Milligan/Pool Photo via AP, File)
Per the filing, Meghan received a missed call at 4.57 a.m. on May 19, 2018 -- the morning of her wedding -- but allegedly did not receive any text messages or further missed calls from Thomas afterward.
In December 2018, Thomas alleged that he had been “ghosted” by Meghan.
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As previously reported, Prince Harry released a statement last October condemning the "British tabloid press" for waging a "ruthless campaign" against Meghan "that has escalated over the past year" throughout the course of her pregnancy and while raising the couple's son Archie. Harry also revealed the pair would be taking legal action.
According to a legal spokesperson representing Meghan Markle, she filed a claim at the time against the Mail on Sunday -- and its parent company Associated Newspapers -- alleging "the intrusive and unlawful publication of a private letter written by" her. Although the statement did not name the specific letter, The Guardian had reported that the Mail on Sunday published a letter penned by Meghan Markle to her estranged father.
At the time, in a statement to Entertainment Tonight, a spokesperson for the Mail on Sunday said: "The Mail on Sunday stands by the story it published and will be defending this case vigorously. Specifically, we categorically deny that the Duchess’s letter was edited in any way that changed its meaning."
Harry has long had an uncomfortable relationship with the media, whom he blames for the death of his mother Princess Diana. She died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi.
On Sunday, the couple, who have since stepped away from their lives as senior royals and are now spending their time in Los Angeles, Calif., sent letters to a number of British tabloids saying they will no longer cooperate because of what they call “distorted, false or invasive” stories.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex sent written letters to the editors of The Sun, the Daily Mail, the Daily Express and the Daily Mirror saying they won’t “offer themselves up as currency for an economy of clickbait and distortion.” They say stories based on “salacious gossip” have upended the lives of acquaintances and strangers alike.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attend The Endeavour Fund Awards at Mansion House on March 05, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
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The letter, released Monday by the couple’s representative, said Harry and Meghan will have “zero engagement” with the newspapers but says the couple “believe that a free press is a cornerstone to any democracy.”
Back in January, the couple announced they will take “a step back” as senior members of the royal family and instead work independently, splitting their time between the United Kingdom and North America.
Fox News' Tyler McCarthy and Fox Business' Stephanie Pagones contributed to this report.
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