MPs sign open letter to Duchess of Sussex condemning 'outdated, colonial undertones' of press coverage

The all female list of MPs say they are from "all political persuasions" and have signed the letter to Meghan because they want to take a stand against the "distasteful and misleading nature" of some of the press coverage about her since 2017 when she and Prince Harry got engaged.

The letter says that on occasions, stories and headlines written about her have "represented an invasion of your privacy" and, as women in public life, they said they share an understanding of the "abuse and intimidation" which is often used to disparage women in public office "from getting on with our own very important work."

The letter says: With this in mind, we expect the national media to have the integrity to know when a story is in the national interest, and when it is seeking to tear women down for no apparent reason."

The letter originated from the Labour MP, Holly Lynch, but she has encouraged dozens of her colleagues from Labour and Conservative benches to become signatories.

It ends by saying "We will use the means at our disposal to ensure that our press accept your right to privacy and show respect."

Ms Lynch said: "Women MPs from all political parties have put aside our differences to stand in solidarity with the Duchess of Sussex today and are sending her this open letter."

It follows the ITV documentary earlier this month in which Meghan told ITV News she has been struggling to adapt to life in the royal family.

The duchess told the programme the intense tabloid coverage, which she hadn't expected, had not been fair.

The letter was also shared on Twitter by Meghan's friend Jessica Mulroney who wrote: "This is what I'm talking about.".