Meghan Markle’s upcoming legal clash with her estranged half sister, Samantha Markle, risks casting a dark cloud over Prince Harry’s attempt at reconciling with the royals, according to a royal expert.
The Post confirmed Tuesday that the Duchess of Sussex is gearing up for yet another legal bout with her estranged half sister more than two years after emerging victorious in their initial legal spat.
However, a royal expert has claimed that the duo’s legal battle may have a knock-on effect on the “Spare” author’s recent efforts in gluing his family back together.
“More legal disputes between Meghan and Samantha could break the fragile links between Harry and Meghan trying to establish a way forward,” Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News.
“The royals are hyper-sensitive toward any legal issues in America, resulting in any more secrets coming out to the detriment of the royals in the UK.”
“This could be misconstrued as a timely action by Samantha Markle as she sees her half-sister on the ropes regarding Netflix and a glimmer of hope to be reconnected with the royal family,” Turner added.
Samantha had sued the duchess in federal court in Florida for allegedly making “demonstrably false and malicious statements” about her to a world audience during a sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The 60-year-old, who shares the same dad as the duchess, filed the $75,000 lawsuit after the “Suits” alum, 44, told Winfrey that she grew up as an only child during her and Harry’s bombshell March 2021 interview.
She claimed the comments subjected her to “humiliation and hatred.”
At the time, a judge at the 11th Circuit Court of Appeal in Atlanta, Ga., had scheduled the case for the week commencing Aug. 11.
However, documents obtained by The Post show that the hearing will now take place on Sept. 9 in Jacksonville, Fla.
According to royal expert Hilary Fordwich, the high-profile legal dispute is sure to leave several members of the Firm worried.
“There is nothing good about this for Meghan Markle,” Fordwich told the outlet. “Her reputation is tarnished further by her own sister making such allegations.”
“Whether true or not, it doesn’t matter, as neither way does it reflect well,” she added.
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The Post has reached out to Meghan and Samantha’s reps for comment.
Prior to her 2023 filing, Samantha had previously filed her libel lawsuit against Meghan in late 2022 — two years after the Sussexes quit royal life and moved to the US.
At the time, Meghan’s legal team had dismissed Samantha’s claims, saying they would “give [the case] the minimum attention necessary, which is all it deserves.”
Their estranged father Thomas Markle Sr., who earlier this year moved to the Philippines, said in March 2022 that he was willing to testify in Samantha’s case.
Samantha suffered a major blow the following year after a Florida judge dismissed her lawsuit against the As Ever founder, saying Meghan’s remarks were opinions and “not capable of being proved false.”
What’s more, Meghan’s lawyer, Michael Kump, said Samantha had no grounds to sue for defamation.
