Skip to main contentSkip to footer

Royals who have taken legal action from Kate Middleton to Meghan Markle

It's not unprecedented

royals legal action
Danielle Stacey
Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
Share this:

The Duchess of Sussex is currently in the middle of legal action against Associated Newspapers (ANL), publisher of the Mail On Sunday and MailOnline.

At the latest High Court hearing, the judge accepted Meghan's application to postpone the date of the full trial for nine months to autumn 2021 in the privacy case she has brought against the newspaper publisher.

The Duchess, 39, is suing Associated Newspapers (ANL) publisher of the Mail On Sunday and MailOnline, over articles published in February 2019, which featured parts of a "private and confidential" letter from Meghan to her estranged father, Thomas Markle, in August 2018.

READ: 8 royal scandals that shocked the world

WATCH: Harry and Meghan: From the UK to the West Coast

But Meghan is not the first member of the royal family to have taken legal action. Here we take a look back at all the times the royal family has made a stand. 

kate william 2012© Photo: Getty Images

Prince William and Kate Middleton

 In 2012, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge launched legal proceedings against French magazine Closer to stop it re-printing topless photographs of Kate taken while the couple were on a private holiday. After six people were convicted of charges relating to the taking and publication of the images, a Paris court awarded William and Kate more than 100,000 euros in damages in 2017.

MORE: The two times the Queen has missed Christmas Day celebrations

queen elizabeth 2003© Photo: Getty Images

The Queen

The Queen has sued The Sun twice for breach of copyright – the first time was in 1988, when the newspaper reached an out-of-court settlement with the monarch after publishing a stolen private family photo. The second time was in 1993 when The Sun published the contents of the Queen's annual Christmas broadcast two days before its transmission. The newspaper ended up paying £200,000 to charity in an out-of-court settlement.

In 2003, the Queen also stopped the Daily Mirror from publishing further revelations about journalist Ryan Parry's employment as a footman at Buckingham Palace.

MORE: 7 times the royals have had to apologise in public

princess diana 1993© Photo: Getty Images

Princess Diana

 In 1993, Princess Diana took legal action against Mirror Group Newspapers after they published photos of her exercising in the gym. The matter was later settled out of court, but the damages awarded have never been disclosed.

MORE: Belgium's former King Albert finally meets daughter Princess Delphine: 'Time for forgiveness'

prince charles 1995© Photo: Getty Images

Prince Charles

Prince Charles obtained an injunction against former housekeeper Wendy Berry, who published her book The Housekeeper's Diary: Charles and Diana Before The Break-up in America. St James's Palace later obtained an injunction that entitled Charles to all profits from her book.

Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to our newsletter to get all of our celebrity, royal and lifestyle news delivered directly to your inbox.

More Royalty

See more