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Meghan Markle has alleged that the Daily Mail crossed "obvious ethical boundaries" by operating at the hospital room of her father, from whom she is estranged, following his assertions that he had not received his daughter's messages.

An Open Plea and a Private Struggle

Thomas Markle publicly asked Meghan to visit him in a recent newspaper interview, following undergoing serious surgery in the Philippines.

Nonetheless, a representative for Meghan said that she had been trying to contact her father and censured the paper's actions.

"Given that a journalist from the outlet has remained at her father’s side the entire time, broadcasting each interaction and breaching clear ethical lines, it has been extremely hard for the royal to contact her father privately, notwithstanding her efforts over the past several days," the representative stated. "Thanks to reliable and trusted contacts, her correspondence is now safely in his hands."

Publisher's Rebuttal

A spokesperson for the publishing group of the newspapers rejected unethical behaviour and said that Mr. Markle was a longtime acquaintance of the reporter who spoke with him.

"After Thomas Markle was taken ill in the Philippines he reached out to the journalist and requested she travel to be with him," said the spokesperson. "As well as being a journalist, she has been friends with Mr Markle for years. She has been with Mr Markle in hospital every day, offering him care and support."

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

Background of Estrangement

The dispute follows a period of difficulty in which Meghan is reported to have been trying to contact her father. Her representatives claim they had faced challenges to find him or establish a method to reach him directly.

Meghan has been distant from her father since 2018, when she married Prince Harry. The father-daughter bond further deteriorated when a personal letter she wrote to him, extracts of which were printed in the Sunday paper, which she said "marked the end of our relationship, not a reconciliation."

Upcoming Legal Battle

This incident comes weeks before the Duke of Sussex is due to begin a lawsuit against the owner of the Daily Mail over claims of unlawful information gathering.

In that court case, set for next month, the publisher is being taken to court by Prince Harry and several other high-profile individuals. The claimants allege the newspaper group carried out unlawful activities. The publisher strongly disputes all accusations.