Meghan, Duchess of Sussex seeking postponement of privacy trial

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex is seeking the postponement of the trial relating to her privacy complaint against Britain's Mail On Sunday tabloid.

The actress turned royal is suing the Mail On Sunday and MailOnline publisher Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over a February 2019 article which reproduced parts of a letter she sent to her father Thomas Markle the previous August.

The latest preliminary hearing, considering costs and case management issues, was due to take place on Thursday, before a full 10-day trial was scheduled to begin in January - but Meghan is now seeking to postpone the proceedings, according to the Press Association.

A court document seen by editors at the news agency states that the application will be considered at an online hearing on Thursday.

U.K. network ITV's royal editor Chris Ship reported the request for the delay has been prompted by a victory for Associated Newspapers at an earlier hearing, permitting them to amend their case. ANL won the hearing after arguing Meghan and her husband Prince Harry had cooperated with the authors of a recent biography, which featured the contents of the letter.

According to Ship, the win has created "more work for Meghan's lawyers", and that the Duchess' legal team have applied for a "summary judgement" that would mean she avoids having to give evidence at a full trial.

The Duchess is seeking damages for alleged misuse of private information, copyright infringement and breach of the Data Protection Act. ANL officials deny the allegations and insist they will contest the case.

The presiding judge, Mr Justice Warby, has also struck out parts of the former Suits star's claim, including allegations that the publisher acted "dishonestly" by leaving out certain passages of the letter.