A former aide to Harry was text-bombed by the Duchess of Sussex, claiming that Harry had been subject to ‘constant berate’ from her royal family for her relationship with Thomas. Today’s messages show this.
Meghan (40) sued Associated Newspapers Limited, the publisher of MailOnline and The Mail On Sunday, for five articles that copied parts from a ‘personally and privately’ written letter to Markle, 77.
ANL filed an appeal against Meghan’s summary judgment decision by the High Court judge. She won without going to trial.
ANL lawyers informed senior judges that they would like to use new evidence from Jason Knauf, a former communications secretary of the Duke and Duchess. Jason Knauf claimed the duchess had written the letter in the knowledge that it might be leaked.
Texts saved as ‘Tilly,’ which Meghan used to write under, show Meghan writing to Jason Knauf, the former Sussex communications secretary.
Knauf responded by praising the letter and saying he thinks it’s’really powerful’. He also said that he believed it was authentic, but he felt a sense of sadness.
In August 2018, Meghan was seen discussing the letter she had written with Mr Knauf in an exchange.
He was told by her: “Everything that I’ve drafted has been done with the knowledge it might be leaked. So I chose my words carefully.” Please let me know if you see anything that could be considered a problem.
Then she told him, “Given how often I called him daddy, it might make sense for me to call him that even though he is less paternal than him. In the event that it did leak, it pulled at her heart strings. All the rest of it is true to facts, and does not seem manipulated or litigious. It is simply an appeal for peace.
She said in a fourth text: “Trust me, I’ve worked over every detail,” to which Mr Knauf responded: “Leave everything to chance. That’s the only path through this.”
As she was about to send the letter, she wrote, “Honestly Jason. I feel amazing, cathartic, real and honest. And if he leaks that then it will be on his conscience. Otherwise, at least the whole world will learn the truth.” Speak words that I wouldn’t speak out publicly.
Following the use of extracts from emails and texts between Mr Knauf and the duchess, additional texts were released to the public Friday on the basis of an application made by The Times and the PA news agency.
Meghan stated that Meghan told Court of Appeal previously that the primary purpose of her letter was to “encourage my father not to talk to the press” after much criticism and a media onslaught surrounding Mr Markle.
“It was when my father started criticizing the royals…that the senior family members and their advisors expressed concern about the public attacks and expressed their wish to see them stop,” she stated in her evidence.
Meghan claims she is able to feel ‘cathartic” after writing the letter, and she adds that it was a laborious process.
Court of Appeal was also informed that Mr Knauf provided information to Finding Freedom author Omid Scobie, Carolyn Durand. Meghan later apologised for misleading the court. Today’s emails show Meghan and Harry talking with their advisers about the book.
The newly published text messages show the duchess expressing frustration at the reaction of the royal family in the recently released texts.
She said, “Seeing how much pain that is causing H. is the catalyst for me doing this.”
“Even though he spent a week explaining everything to his father, his family seems to have forgotten the context and go back to asking if she can just see him to make it stop.
“They don’t fundamentally understand it so H will at least be able, by writing H, to his family,’she wrote him an email and he’s still doing that.
“I take this action to protect my husband and, while it is unlikely that my father will be able to stop the constant beatings of my husband,”
In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry and Meghan opened up about their relationship with the monarchy. The duke said he felt ‘led down’ by Prince Charles.
He claimed that his father had stopped answering his calls when he tried to plan his role as monarchy leader in 2019 after the duchess felt under great pressure.
Harry said to Winfrey, “But at the same-time – I will forever love him – but there has been a lot hurt and that I will make it a priority to heal that relationship.
ANL lawyers claimed that a People magazine article from the US which included a interview with Meghan’s five closest friends, was inaccurate and misrepresented the letter. They also made “nasty” allegations against Mr Markle.
Harry discusses in this email the importance of ‘giving context and background’ to help ‘get some truths out’
New texts and emails reveal that Mr Knauf, in an email addressed to Meghan in December 2018, stated that he spent close to two hours with unauthorised biographers.
Andrew Caldecott, QC representing ANL said the article presented Markle in an inaccurate light as he gave ‘a cynical, self-interested reply ignoring her pleas to reconciliation in a loving note’.
The newly published texts show Meghan telling Mr Knauf that the letter “doesn’t open the door to a conversation.”
Court of Appeal heard also that Mr Knauf, acting under Meghan’s orders, provided information to Carolyn Durand and Omid Scobie on Finding Freedom. Meghan was forced to apologize for her misleading the court.
According to Mr Knauf’s witness statement, the book was discussed on a routine and was then discussed with the Duchess over email.
The emails published today showed Meghan and Harry talking to advisers about the book.
Meghan stated in her testimony, which was made public Wednesday: “When I approved passage…I didn’t have the benefit to see these emails, and I apologize to the court that I hadn’t remembered these exchanges at that time.
“I did not intend to or have any intention of misleading the court or defendant.”
Jason Knauf, former chief of royal communications (pictured with the Sussexes). Now he works as a consultant for Prince William, Harry’s older brother.
New texts and emails reveal that Mr Knauf, in an email sent to Meghan in December 2018, stated that he spent “close to two hours” with unauthorised biographers.
He wrote, “I took them through every step,”
“They will time the books for the birth of the baby and they are very optimistic.”
According to Mr Knauf, the duchess also said that the book was a celebration of her that would correct the record on many fronts.
After the Thursday hearing, three of the senior judges indicated that they were going to take their time and consider the appeal.