The first stage of the Duchess of Sussex’s legal action against a British newspaper over its publication of a “private and confidential” letter to her estranged father is set to be heard at the High Court. Meghan is suing Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Mail on Sunday and MailOnline, over an article which reproduced parts of the handwritten letter sent to Thomas Markle, 75, in August 2018. Sections of the letter were published in the newspaper and online in February last year, and it was announced the duchess would be bringing legal action in October. The headline on the article read: “Revealed: The letter showing true tragedy of Meghan’s rift with a father she says has ‘broken her heart into a million pieces’.” The duchess is seeking damages from Associated Newspapers Ltd, the newspaper’s publisher and operator of the website, for alleged misuse of private information, copyright infringement and breach of the Data Protection Act.