Prince Harry, Meghan Markle to be deposed in defamation trial

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to be deposed in a defamation case in the United States, following a ruling by Florida judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell.

The case was brought against the Duchess by her half-sister, Samantha Markle, who is suing her for damages exceeding $75,000 for "defamation and injurious falsehood".

The lawsuit, which was filed in March 2022, claims that Meghan made "demonstrably false and malicious statements" in her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, which was watched by an estimated 50 million people in 17 countries.

The statement further alleges that Meghan defamed Samantha when she referred to herself as an "only child" during the interview.

Meghan had filed a motion in September 2022 to stop the depositions in the case, but the presiding judge dismissed the motion, ruling that she failed to demonstrate that "unusual circumstances justify the requested stay, or that prejudice or an undue burden will result if the Court does not impose a stay".

Samantha claims that Meghan's statements have subjected her to "humiliation, shame and hatred on a worldwide scale," and spread "lies worldwide" about their father, Thomas Markle.

The lawsuit further alleges that Meghan engaged in a premeditated campaign to defame and destroy her sister's and father's reputation and credibility.

The latest developments in the case come after the publication of Prince Harry's memoir and the couple's six-part Netflix series in which Meghan spoke about her relationship with Samantha. Meghan stated in the documentary that she had not seen her half-sister for over a decade and that she was surprised to see her "everywhere".

The case is expected to shed light on the inner workings of the royal family and the relationship between Meghan and Samantha.

A statement shown in the Netflix series read, "Samantha maintains that she and Meghan had a close relationship until 2018 and that the media fabricated quotes that have been attributed to her".