Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, called for a tabloid industry overhaul after the Mail on Sunday had lost its appeal on Thursday.

In a statement, she said: "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.

"From day one, I have treated this lawsuit as an important measure of right versus wrong. The defendant has treated it as a game with no rules. The longer they dragged it out, the more they could twist facts and manipulate the public (even during the appeal itself), making a straightforward case extraordinarily convoluted in order to generate more headlines and sell more newspapers– – a model that rewards chaos above truth.

"In the nearly three years since this began, I have been patient in the face of deception, intimidation, and calculated attacks. 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."

Meghan sued Associated Newspapers Limited, which owns the Mail on Sunday, over five articles reproducing parts of the "personal and private" letter to Thomas Markle, 77, in August 2018. ANL made an appeal to the court rejecting the lawsuit. The court favoured Markle's case and rejected ANL's appeal.