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Royal Family press team 'unable to defend Meghan Markle against true stories', report claims

NUKU'ALOFA, TONGA - OCTOBER 26:  Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend Unveiling of The Queen's Commonwealth Canopy at Tupou College on October 26, 2018 in Nuku'alofa, Tonga. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are on their official 16-day Autumn tour visiting cities in Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand.  (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Meghan Markle said in court documents that she was unprotected. (Getty Images)

Meghan Markle wasn’t defended against stories about her when she was a senior royal because some of them were true, it had been claimed.

The Duchess of Sussex has said she felt “unprotected” by the Royal Family from the stream of stories about her, in court documents which emerged on Thursday, which is why her friends went to People magazine to defend her.

But The Times has reported that Kensington Palace could not defend her because some of the stories were true.

According to the papers, the duchess was left unhappy by stories about her deteriorating relationship with palace staff, as well as the comments made about her by her half-sister Samantha Grant.

Referring to reports that one palace employee had been left in tears by Meghan’s demand, a source told The Times: “The stories were a drop in the ocean compared to what was going on.”

The source also told the paper the “institution” Meghan felt unprotected by refers to the media team rather than members of the Royal Family.

Meghan, 38, is also reported to have wanted something done about the interviews her half-sister was carrying out, but the palace would be unlikely to get involved with those.

Queen Elizabeth ll and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex open the New Mersey Gateway Bridge during a visit to Cheshire on June 14, 2018.  This is the Duchess's first solo engagement with The Queen
The palace couldn't defend some stories, according to a source. (PA Images)

Read more: Why is Meghan Markle suing the Mail on Sunday?

Meghan announced legal action against Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL) after the Mail On Sunday and the MailOnline published excerpts of a letter she sent her father after her wedding to Prince Harry.

She claims there was a breach of copyright, and misuse of private information in the printing of parts of the letter.

ANL has said it will hotly contest the case, and says there was no misuse because the letter had been referenced in an interview five friends of Meghan’s had carried out with People magazine.

The duchess has said she did not authorise the interview, and she previously said she did not know about it until it appeared.

Meghan was the subject of many headlines after her father, Thomas Markle, was found to have set up paparazzi photographs near his home in Mexico.

TOPSHOT - US fiancee of Britain's Prince Harry, Meghan Markle arrives at the High Altar for their wedding ceremony in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in Windsor, on May 19, 2018. (Photo by Jonathan Brady / POOL / AFP)        (Photo credit should read JONATHAN BRADY/AFP via Getty Images)
Meghan's friend spoke to a magazine about her. (Getty Images)

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He has since gone on to claim he has not been contacted by his daughter, though in court papers, she sets out how she has sought to contact him, including how she arranged for him to attend her May 2018 wedding.

It also emerged in the papers that Mr Markle has not met either Prince Harry or the Sussexes’ son Archie.

Meghan and Harry dialled into the last hearing of her court case, which she lost, and the duchess subsequently had to strike out parts of her application against ANL.