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The Duchess of Sussex has claimed that the newspaper breached "clear ethical boundaries" by reporting from the bedside of her estranged father, following his assertions that he had not received his daughter's messages.

A Public Appeal and a Secret Effort

Thomas Markle publicly asked Meghan to see him in a weekend interview, after undergoing major surgery abroad.

However, a spokesperson for Meghan stated that she had been attempting to reach her father and criticised the paper's actions.

"Considering a Daily Mail reporter has stayed at her father’s side throughout, broadcasting each exchange and breaching clear ethical boundaries, it has been exceedingly difficult for the duchess to contact her father in private, despite her attempts over the past several days," the representative said. "Thanks to reliable and trusted contacts, her correspondence is now securely in his hands."

Publisher's Rebuttal

A representative for the parent company of the newspapers rejected unethical behaviour and stated that Mr. Markle was a friend of the journalist who spoke with him.

"After Thomas Markle was fell ill in the Philippines he contacted Caroline Graham and requested she travel to be with him," stated the spokesman. "Not only is she a journalist, Caroline Graham has been friends with Mr Markle for years. She has been with Mr Markle in hospital every day, providing him with care and support."

The company representative continued, "The claim is completely false that each interaction has been publicized, and the allegation that journalistic ethics were violated is patently untrue and vehemently denied."

Background of Estrangement

The dispute comes a tense few days in which Meghan is understood to have been trying to contact her father. Her team say they had faced challenges to locate him or establish a method to reach him directly.

Meghan has been distant from her father since 2018, when she married Prince Harry. Their relationship soured further after a personal letter she wrote to him, extracts of which were printed in the Sunday paper, an act she said "actually signalled the end of our relationship, not a reconciliation."

Forthcoming Court Case

This disagreement comes weeks before the Duke of Sussex is scheduled to start a lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail over claims of illegal data collection.

In that trial, scheduled for next month, the publisher is being sued by Prince Harry and a group of high-profile individuals. The claimants contend the newspaper group engaged in unlawful activities. The publisher strongly disputes all allegations.