EXCLUSIVE: Judge rules Meghan and Harry must be GRILLED in deposition over Samantha Markle's claim the couple lied about her in Oprah interview - exposing even more of what's left behind their curtain of secrecy

  • Meghan's half-sister Samantha is suing the Duke and Duchess for $75,000 
  • A judge ruled that Meghan and Harry will be grilled by Samantha's lawyers on subjects like whether Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles were racist
  • Meghan's lawyers asked the judge to stop the discovery process, but she refused

They have already spilled intimate details of their lives in their Netflix special and in Prince Harry's tell-all memoir.

But now the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will have to submit to their most revealing interrogation yet as part of a lawsuit brought by Meghan's sister Samantha. 

A judge refused to grant Meghan Markle's request to stop depositions being taken, meaning that she and Harry will be grilled by Samantha Markle's lawyers.

Within the next few months they will have to discuss subjects including whether the late Queen Elizabeth was racist.

Meghan's half-sister Samantha Markle is suing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for $75,000 in damages over claims they made in their Oprah interview

Meghan's half-sister Samantha Markle is suing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for $75,000 in damages over claims they made in their Oprah interview 

According to Samantha, the allegations subjected her to 'humiliation, shame and hatred on a worldwide scale'

According to Samantha, the allegations subjected her to 'humiliation, shame and hatred on a worldwide scale'

But in a victory for the Duchess, a judge warned that the case may be 'ripe for dismissal' before the depositions take place.

Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell said that after a 'preliminary peek' at Meghan's request to dismiss the case there may be grounds to throw it out.

Samantha and Meghan have had a difficult relationship for years, and it exploded into public view after Meghan's engagement to Harry was announced in 2017. Pictured together in 2008

Samantha and Meghan have had a difficult relationship for years, and it exploded into public view after Meghan's engagement to Harry was announced in 2017. Pictured together in 2008

Samantha is seeking $75,000 in damages over claims in the Sussexes' 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey and their 2020 biography Finding Freedom.

According to Samantha, the allegations subjected her to 'humiliation, shame and hatred on a worldwide scale'.

Meghan's lawyers have refused to respond to 38 questions from Samantha's lawyers filed in the Florida federal court lawsuit as they want Judge Honeywell to rule on their motion to dismiss first.

They also asked the judge to stop the discovery process but she refused to do so.

In her ruling, Judge Honeywell wrote: 'Defendant Markle does not show that unusual circumstances justify the requested stay, or that prejudice or an undue burden will result if the Court does not impose a stay.

'Although a preliminary peek at the motion to dismiss suggests that some of the claims against her may be ripe for dismissal, the review does not reveal, at this time, a clear indication that the Court will dismiss the action in its entirety.

'Thus, defendant Markle does not satisfy the high standard required to stay discovery pending the resolution of a dispositive motion.'

The ruling means that Meghan and Harry will have to sit for deposition which will have to take place before July, if the case moves ahead.

They are likely to be challenged about statements that Samantha wants a response to including: 'Queen Elizabeth was not a racist' and 'King Charles is not a racist'.

Meghan's lawyers have refused to respond to 38 questions from Samantha's lawyers filed in the Florida federal court lawsuit as they want Judge Honeywell to rule on their motion to dismiss first. They also asked the judge to stop the discovery process but she refused to do so

Meghan's lawyers have refused to respond to 38 questions from Samantha's lawyers filed in the Florida federal court lawsuit as they want Judge Honeywell to rule on their motion to dismiss first. They also asked the judge to stop the discovery process but she refused to do so 

Samantha claimed the Duchess 'has utilized improper stonewalling to resist Mrs. Markle's discovery efforts in this case' in the hope the case is dismissed.

She alleged that Meghan has provided 'zero documents' after she made 38 requests for emails and text messages, with the Duchess objecting to 'each and every one of the requests'.

Meghan, through her lawyer, refused to respond to either because they were 'not relevant' to the case.

They refused to answer other questions on the same grounds, calling some 'vague'.

Her lawyer declined to even respond to basic biographical requests for a response from Samantha.

They include that Meghan is not an only child as she claimed in the Oprah interview - she actually has a half brother, Thomas Jr, as well as Samantha, her half sister.

One request from Samantha states: 'Please state whether or not you have ever spoken out in defense of the Plaintiff after seeing the public scrutiny/hatred she has received from your fans'.

Another claim Samantha is challenging is that Meghan once said she used to get into her old Ford Explorer through the boot because it was so broken down.

In the court papers, Samantha is seeking 'any and all documents to evidence that you had a Ford Explorer with non-functioning doors'.

Behind the scenes footage shows Prince Harry and Meghan Markle watching their Oprah interview at home in their Netflix documentary

Behind the scenes footage shows Prince Harry and Meghan Markle watching their Oprah interview at home in their Netflix documentary 

Samantha has been outspoken in her disdain for Meghan. Samantha was quoted by journalists as saying that 'The Queen would be appalled' and called her a 'ducha**' on Twitter

Samantha has been outspoken in her disdain for Meghan. Samantha was quoted by journalists as saying that 'The Queen would be appalled' and called her a 'ducha**' on Twitter

Samantha and Meghan have had a difficult relationship for years, which exploded into public view after Meghan's engagement to Harry was announced in 2017.

Samantha was quoted by journalists as saying that 'The Queen would be appalled' and called her a 'ducha**' on Twitter.

In her memoir, titled 'The Diary of Princess Pushy's Sister', Samantha claimed that Meghan ordered their father to disown his children from his first marriage if he wanted an invitation to her wedding.

According to the book, Meghan told Thomas Sr. to divorce himself from her and her brother Thomas by saying: 'You don't need them!'

Thomas Sr. refused and supposedly said: 'I love you all equally' to which Meghan replied: 'Why can't you just comply?'

Samantha also alleged that the stress of the row was one of the factors in Thomas Sr. having a heart attack which prevented him from attending the star-studded wedding in 2018.

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