Just last month Meghan, Duchess of Sussex celebrated her second victory in a court case against the publishers of British newspaper The Mail on Sunday.
Her win came after an appeal from the publication, challenging an earlier ruling in Meghan’s favour, and settled the case once and for all.
It was a landmark victory for the duchess, who went after the paper for invading her privacy and copyright infringement after it published a private letter she wrote to her father, Thomas Markle, back in 2018.
How much money will Meghan Markle be paid as a result of her court win?
(Getty)But the question on many people’s lips was “How much money will Meghan get for the win?” Well, not nearly as much as some people would expect.
The Duchess of Sussex will receive just £1 (AUD $1.88) in damages for her privacy claims, Forbes reports, the figure now confirmed by a spokesperson for the royal.
It’s supposedly a “symbolic” figure that may have been inspired by pop star Taylor Swift.
The singer won a $1 settlement in a 2017 trial against a Colorado radio DJ who groped her.
Taylor’s attorney pointed out that the figure was symbolic for the singer, who is worth an estimated $400 million, and was chosen to show that “no means no” and tell all women “that they will determine what is tolerable to their body.”
Perhaps Meghan is now attempting to share a similar message about privacy, taking a £1 settlement to show that all people deserve a right to privacy, no matter who they are.
The Duchess of Sussex previously said in a statement about her court win: “This is a victory not just for me, but for anyone who has ever felt scared to stand up for what’s right.
“While this win is precedent setting, what matters most is that we are now collectively brave enough to reshape a tabloid industry that conditions people to be cruel, and profits from the lies and pain that they create.”
But that symbolic £1 isn’t the only money that publishers of the Mail on Sunday will have to pay as a result of this lengthy court battle.
Associated Newspapers, the paper’s publisher, will also have to pay the duchess a hefty sum to represent the profits they made from publishing the private letter to her father.
Though the exact figure is unknown, a spokesperson revealed to Forbes that Meghan already has plans for the cash from the copyright infringement claim.
She reportedly intends to donate the money to charity, though no details have been shared about which charities the duchess will gift the money to.
Meghan already has plans to donate the money to charity, according to a spokesperson.
(Getty)Speaking of her court victory back in December 2021, Meghan said: “Today, the courts ruled in my favour—again—cementing that The Mail on Sunday, owned by Lord Jonathan Rothermere, has broken the law.
“The courts have held the defendant to account, and my hope is that we all begin to do the same. Because as far removed as it may seem from your personal life, it’s not. Tomorrow it could be you.
“These harmful practices don’t happen once in a blue moon—they are a daily fail that divide us, and we all deserve better.”
