Meghan Markle is 'struggling to cope' and ‘has gone worryingly quiet’, relative claims

A relative of the Duchess of Sussex has said that Meghan Markle has “gone worrying quiet” and is “struggling to cope”as her and Prince Harry’s royal rift is played out in a legal battle.

In documents filed by Meghan’s lawyers in the High Court, it was said that she felt she had been left “unprotected” by the Royal Family while pregnant with son Archie.

The papers related to an ongoing legal battle with the Mail on Sunday over an article which published extracts of a letter she sent to her dad Thomas Markle Sr.

Meghan has also claimed she was the subject of a number of damaging and distressing articles, with Kensington Palace ordering her to say nothing except “no comment”.

Her legal document stated: “As her friends had never seen her in this state before, they were rightly concerned for her welfare, specifically as she was pregnant, unprotected by the Institution, and prohibited from defending herself.”

As the legal battle plays out, its toll on Meghan has been noticed by family, according to Mirror.

The relative of Meghan’s, who did not want to be named, also revealed to Sunday Mirror that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s new life in Los Angeles was taking its toll on Prince Harry who is said to be missing the close bond he once had with his brother Prince William.

The relative told the Sunday Mirror: “She has gone very quiet. I think she is likely to be feeling extremely low and probably struggling.

“The legal battle and the increased tension it’s created with the royals due to the information that’s coming out has to be putting a lot of strain on them both.

“Meghan’s been a lot more distant and introverted over the last few weeks – her family is worried. And Harry must be tormented by his fractured family ties.

“He was particularly down on William’s birthday on June 21.”

It also emerged in the court papers Meghan had named five friends who gave an interview to US People magazine defending her and criticising her father. However, she denied authorizing them to grant the interview.

The Mail on Sunday published extracts from a letter Meghan had written to her father in August 2018, three months after he was unable to walk her down the aisle following a heart attack.

Meghan has claimed the letter was private.

The newspaper has denied the allegations, saying Meghan’s father wanted its content published to correct any false impression her friends had given about what it contained when they gave their magazine interviews.

Meghan has identified one of her five friends, Friend A, as the person who told People magazine the letter said: “Dad, I’m so heartbroken. I love you. I have one father.

“Please stop victimising me through the media so we can repair our relationship.”

Meghan claimed this was an “unfortunately inaccurate” portrayal of her letter, claiming she didn’t know her friend would go public.