MPs show solidarity with Meghan Markle with open letter

Spearheaded by Halifax Labour MP Holly Lynch, the letter said the media coverage of the Duchess had ‘outdated, colonial undertones’, and that the MPs 'stood with her'.

The letter addressed that despite living very different lives, MPs from across the political spectrum understood the 'abuse and intimidation' used by the media to 'disparag(e) women in public office' from getting on with their work.

The letter was signed by MPs such as Labour's Dianne Abbot and Jess Phillips, Liberal Democrat Angela Smith and Conservative MP Tracey Crouch. It was posted only weeks after the Duchess' husband, Prince Harry, announced that he is taking legal action against publishers.

Ms Lynch told the Courier: “I was motivated to write the letter due Meghan and Harry’s statement about taking legal action against the press, combined with their recent documentary. It was clear that the media has gone too far and that the coverage was becoming very stressful for them and was affecting them as human beings.”

The letter stated that 'as women MPs of all political persuasions' they wanted to call out 'often distasteful and misleading' stories that have been published in many national papers across the UK.

It continued: 'On occasions, stories and headlines have represented an invasion of your privacy and have sought to cast aspersions about your character, without any good reason as far as we can see.

'Even more concerning still, we are calling out what can only be described as outdated, colonial undertones to some of these stories.

'As women members of Parliament from all backgrounds, we stand with you in saying it cannot be allowed to go unchallenged.'

The Duchess of Sussex rang Ms Lynch to thank her personally for the letter.

Ms Lynch told ITV: "She was calling to thank myself and other women MP for standing with her and sending the open letter to say that we, as women in public office, absolutely understand what she is going through.

"Although in very different public roles, we stand with her in solidarity to say that we shouldn’t be tearing down women in public life through the press or otherwise, so she was pleased to have seen that letter.'