The Duchess of Sussex filed a formal complaint with British broadcaster ITV after presenter Piers Morgan criticised her claims against the royal family.
Morgan left ITV's Good Morning Britain on Tuesday after his long-running criticism of the duchess intensified in the wake of her tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which she said she felt suicidal during her time as a senior working royal.
It is understood Ms Markle formally complained to ITV before he resigned, a source told the Press Association.
The complaint focused on how his remarks may affect those trying to deal with their own mental health problems.
It did not concern his repeated criticism of her or allegations of racism, which have rocked the monarchy.
Morgan on Wednesday stood by the comments he made about the Duchess of Sussex after quitting his highly rated breakfast show.
The former newspaper editor, 55, said he still did not believe the duchess’s claims.
“I believe in freedom of speech, I believe in the right to be allowed to have an opinion. If people want to believe Meghan Markle, that’s entirely their right.
“I don't believe almost anything that comes out of her mouth and I think the damage she's done to the British monarchy and to the Queen at a time when Prince Philip is lying in hospital is enormous and frankly contemptible.
“So, if I have to fall on my sword for expressing an honestly held opinion about Meghan Markle and that diatribe of bilge that she came out with in that interview, so be it.”
Morgan tweeted to his 7.8 million followers that he was “off to spend more time with my opinions” above a picture of Winston Churchill and a quote on the topic of free speech.
Morgan’s long-time co-presenter, Susannah Reid, began Wednesday’s programme by saying “some may cheer and others may boo” his departure, but, she said, “shows go on”.
“Piers and I have disagreed on many things, and that dynamic was one of the things that viewers loved about the programme. He is without doubt an outspoken, challenging, opinionated, disruptive broadcaster,” she said.
"He has many critics and he has many fans. You will know that I disagreed with him about Meghan's interview. He himself clarified his comments about her mental health on the show yesterday. There are many voices on [the programme], and everyone has their say.”
In a two-hour interview that plunged the British monarchy into crisis, Ms Markle said her pleas for mental-health support had been rejected and that someone in the royal household had raised questions about the colour of her unborn son's skin.
The morning after the interview was broadcast on US television, Morgan said on Good Morning Britain, among a torrent of other criticisms, that he did not believe a word Ms Markle had said. In another tweet, he called her Princess Pinocchio.
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Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan the Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry watch a flypast of Royal Air Force aircraft pass over Buckingham Palace in London. AP Photo -
Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex leave after visiting Canada House in London after their recent stay in Canada. AP Photo -
Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, arrive to greet members of the public in Kingfisher Bay on Fraser Island in Queensland, Australia October 22, 2018. Reuters -
Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex meet with a local surfing community group, known as OneWave, raising awareness for mental health and wellbeing in a fun and engaging way at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. AP Photo -
Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex hold their baby son Archie during a photocall in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle, in Berkshire, Britain May 8, 2019. Reuters -
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, visits Auwal Mosque on Heritage Day with Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, during their royal tour of South Africa on September 24, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa. Getty Images -
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, pose for a photo with the New York Yankees before their game against the Boston Red Sox at London Stadium on June 29, 2019 in London, England. The game was in support of the Invictus Games Foundation. Getty Images -
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, dance as they visit a Justice Desk initiative in Nyanga township, during their royal tour of South Africa on September 23, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa. Getty Images -
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend a service marking the centenary of WW1 armistice at Westminster Abbey on November 11, 2018 in London, England. Getty Images -
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, visit an exhibition of Tongan handicrafts, mats and tapa cloths at the Fa'onelua Convention Centre on October 26, 2018 in Nuku'alofa, Tonga. Getty Images -
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, meet with local children as they arrive at Dubbo Airport on October 17, 2018 in Dubbo, Australia. Getty Images -
Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and his new wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, leave from the West Door of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in Windsor on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England. Getty Images -
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Susse, arrive for a visit to "Justice desk", an NGO in the township of Nyanga in Cape Town, as they begin their tour of the region on September 23, 2019. AFP -
Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, chats with Disney CEO Robert Iger as Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, embraces US singer-songwriter Beyoncé as they attend the European premiere of the film The Lion King in London on July 14, 2019. AFP -
Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, joined by her mother, Doria Ragland, show their new son to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip at Windsor Castle, Windsor, England. AP Photo
His stance was in contrast to that of ITV chief executive Carolyn McCall, who said she “completely believes” the duchess.
On Tuesday, Morgan stormed off the set of the live programme when challenged by a co-presenter about his stance. Later that day, ITV said he was leaving.
Monday's programme resulted in more than 41,000 complaints to Britain's media regulator Ofcom, which announced an investigation under its "harm and offence" rules.
Morgan first made his name in the cutthroat world of Britain's tabloid press, culminating in a stint editing the now-defunct News of the World, and then the Daily Mirror.
He later went into television, appearing as a judge on reality shows America's Got Talent and Britain's Got Talent. For three years he hosted a chat show on CNN, replacing Larry King.
