Court documents filed as part of a legal case against the Mail on Sunday newspaper reveals that the Duke of Sussex tried to advise Thomas Markle to avoid speaking to the press.

• Apr 21, 2020

AceShowbiz - Prince Harry pleaded with his future father-in-law Thomas Markle to stop talking to the media on the eve of his wedding, according to documents submitted as part of a legal case against the Mail on Sunday newspaper.

Texts revealed in court documents filed at Britain's High Court on Monday, April 20, show the Prince was desperately trying to reach out to the father of his bride-to-be, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, in the lead up to their televised nuptials in Windsor, England.

Thomas was at the center of a media storm ahead of the wedding after Mail on Sunday editors revealed he had staged paparazzi photographs. Meghan is suing the newspaper's publisher over the later publication of a private letter to her father.

According to The Guardian, one text, showing Harry trying to salvage things before the wedding, reads, "Tom, Harry again! Really need to speak to u. U do not need to apologize, we understand the circumstances but 'going public' will only make the situation worse."

He went on to strongly advise Thomas, who lives in Mexico, to avoid speaking to the press before adding, "Meg and I are not angry, we just need to speak to u. Thanks."

Rather than reply and accept Harry's offer, it is alleged that Thomas gave a statement to TMZ.com stating he had had a heart attack, with the report the first Meghan heard of his health problems.

Other messages show she reached out to him in hospital, sent security staff after he failed to return their calls as she was concerned for his safety. The filing also states that she had a missed call from her dad at 4.57 A.M. U.K. time on 19 May 2018, the morning of her wedding - and they have since only been in touch via letter.

The Duchess is suing for alleged invasion of privacy, breach of copyright and misuse of personal data after editors published a letter she sent to her father complaining about his behavior.

On Sunday, the couple sent a letter to the editors of Britain's tabloid newspapers stating that they would no longer engage with them after quitting their royal duties and moving to California. Harry is also separately suing rival papers The Sun and The Mirror over historic phone-hacking allegations.

A hearing in the Mail on Sunday case will take place via video conference on Friday.