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Meghan Markle has claimed that the Daily Mail crossed "clear ethical boundaries" by operating at the hospital room of her estranged father, following his claims that he had not gotten his daughter's messages.

A Public Appeal and a Secret Effort

Meghan's father appealed to Meghan to see him in a weekend interview, following having serious surgery abroad.

However, a spokesperson for Meghan stated that she had been trying to contact her father and censured the paper's actions.

"Considering a Daily Mail reporter has stayed at her father’s side the entire time, broadcasting each interaction and crossing clear ethical lines, it has been exceedingly difficult for the duchess to contact her father privately, notwithstanding her efforts over the past few days," the spokesperson said. "Thanks to trusted associates, her correspondence is now safely in his hands."

Outlet's Denial

A representative for the publishing group of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday rejected any ethical breach and stated that Mr. Markle was a longtime acquaintance of the journalist who interviewed him.

"After Thomas Markle was taken ill in the Philippines he contacted Caroline Graham and requested she travel to be with him," stated 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 added, "It is entirely untrue that each interaction has been publicized, and the allegation that journalistic ethics were violated is patently untrue and strongly contested."

Background of Estrangement

The row follows a period of difficulty in which Meghan is understood to have been trying to contact her father. Her representatives claim they had struggled to locate him or establish a method to reach him directly.

Meghan has been estranged from her father since 2018, when she married Prince Harry. Their relationship further deteriorated after a private letter she wrote to him, extracts of which were published in the Sunday paper, an act she said "marked the end of our relationship, not a reconciliation."

Forthcoming Court Case

This disagreement precedes by weeks the Duke of Sussex is due to begin a lawsuit against the owner of the Daily Mail over allegations of illegal data collection.

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