In November 2016, Kensington Palace issued a virtually unprecedented statement condemning press coverage and social media attacks aimed at Prince Harry’s then girlfriend Meghan Markle. In the early months of their relationship, tabloid coverage was rampant, but The Sun scored a number of early exclusives, publishing stories that quoted Meghan’s estranged half sister and claimed that Harry had bombarded her phone with texts. Now, more than four years later, retired private investigator Daniel Portley-Hanks has claimed that he illegally obtained contact information for Meghan and her family members for The Sun, including tips that put them on the trail of Meghan’s father Thomas Markle, along with her social security number.
Portley-Hanks had signed a letter for The Sun that stipulated that he wouldn’t “use any illegal methods to locate people or do background checks,” he told The New York Times. “Then the reporters came back to me and said, ‘But if you want to get work, keep doing what you’ve been doing,’ with a nod and a wink.”
The story was first reported by Byline Investigates, a website that publishes stories about the conduct of the British media, which said it was given access to the dossier Portley-Hanks compiled on Meghan and her family, along with his invoices to The Sun. The website also shared its exclusive with the Times and the BBC, who both interviewed Portley-Hanks and reviewed his documentation.
According to Portley-Hanks, he used a restricted database that he was allowed to access as a private investigator—but was only supposed to on behalf of clients—in order to find Meghan’s address and phone number as well as contact information for her family. It was an opening salvo in a war that later saw both Meghan and Harry sue British tabloids. In the interview with Oprah that aired last week, Meghan also discussed how the scrutiny and intrusion led her to have suicidal thoughts.
In a statement to the BBC, News Group Newspapers, the publishers of The Sun, confirmed that they had contracted with Portley-Hanks but denied that they knew he was using illegal methods to conduct the research. “In 2016, The Sun made a legitimate request of Mr. Hanks to research contact details and addresses for Meghan Markle and possible relatives using legal databases which he had a license to use,” it read. “The information he provided could not and did not raise any concerns that he had used illegal practices to obtain the information. At no time did The Sun request the social security number of Meghan Markle, nor use the information he provided for any unlawful practice.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for Meghan and Harry supported the investigation. “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex feel that today is an important moment of reflection for the media industry and society at large, as this investigative report shows that the predatory practices of days past are still ongoing, reaping irreversible damage for families and relationships,” it read. “They are grateful to those working in media who stand for upholding the values of journalism, which are needed now more than ever before.”
Portley-Hanks told the Times that Meghan and Harry’s interview with Oprah inspired him to come forward. “My relationship with tabloid media was purely about my pocketbook,” Portley-Hanks said. “Meghan Markle’s name didn’t mean anything to me. I had no idea she was connected to the royal family.”
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