Despite the wedding ceremony being lauded by commentators as a celebratory reflection of modern Britain and a turning point for the monarchy, the abuse has exposed a rift between the royal family and the British tabloid press.
Now the heat is set to rise further after five "best friends" of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex -- described as "an essential part" of her inner circle -- have spoken out against what they say is the "bullying" she has endured since entering royal life, in an interview with People magazine.
After "maintaining their silence for nearly two years," the five unnamed female friends attempted to "set the record straight" about the rumors swirling around the Duchess.
"(We have) to stand up against the global bullying we are seeing and speak the truth about our friend," a friend, identified as a "former co-star" of the Duchess, said.
With the Duchess expecting a baby this spring, the friends worry "about what this is doing to her and the baby." The former co-star added that "Meg has silently sat back and endured the lies and untruths... It's wrong to put anyone under this level of emotional trauma, let alone when they're pregnant."
Kensington Palace declined to comment on the interview.
The women addressed Meghan's relationship with her father, Thomas Markle, and half-sister Samantha.
"(Thomas Markle) never called; he's never texted. It's super painful, because Meg was always so dutiful. I think she will always feel genuinely devastated by what he's done," the friend told People in reference to the former television lighting director saying in various interviews that he can't reach his daughter.
"And at the same time, because she's a daughter, she has a lot of sympathy for him," the friend said.
Samantha -- who has spoken critically about the Duchess in the British tabloids -- and half-brother Thomas Jr., were "not a part of [the Duchess] life," the friend added.
The next morning when the car got there (to take him to the airport), he wouldn't get in. (Later) Meg heard he had a heart attack and she's calling and texting, even up to the night before the wedding. It was like, 'Please pick up. I love you, and I'm scared.' It was endless."
After the wedding, the Duchess allegedly reached out to her father and asked him to stop "victimizing" her in the press.
"She's like, 'Dad, I'm so heartbroken. I love you. I have one father. Please stop victimizing me through the media so we can repair our relationship,'" the friend said.
"Because every time her team has to come to her and fact-check something (he has said), it's an arrow to the heart. He writes her a really long letter in return, and he closes it by requesting a photo op with her. And she feels like, 'That's the opposite of what I'm saying. I'm telling you I don't want to communicate through the media, and you're asking me to communicate through the media. Did you hear anything I said?' It's almost like they're ships passing."
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