Meghan Markle's secret texts to be exposed in court

The Duchess of Sussex may be required to hand her private cellphone over to the courts. Photo / Getty Images

Meghan Markle's private texts and emails to her father could be exposed in court.

After the Duchess of Sussex sued The Mail on Sunday newspaper for publishing a private letter she sent to her entranged father Thomas Markle, reports claim she could now be forced to hand over her phone records.

According to The Sun, Markle may have to make a host of private communications available as part of the disclosure process.

This is so she can prove she didn't share details of her dad's letter - as it's expected that the newspaper will claim she put the letter in the public domain in the first place, by telling her close friends about it who then leaked details to the press.

"The defence lawyers will probably argue any communication she had with friends over the People article is relevant," a source told The Sun.

"But if her lawyers were sensible they would have looked through all her communications before making the claim to know what could possibly end up being revealed."

The Duchess is set to give evidence at the trial and be cross-examined by lawyers from Mail on Sunday publishers Associated Newspapers.

"The Duchess of Sussex is very clear as to what the litigation against Associated Newspapers involves and is resolute in her determination to see the case through, in order to hold the tabloid to account for its actions," her spokeswoman told The Sun.

"The lawyers will want Meghan in the witness box and she will be open to a cross-examination, which could see many aspects of her family background examined in court.

"That's the downside of suing in the public domain. She will be under oath so the stakes are very high for her.

After Markle's husband Prince Harry accused the press of waging a "ruthless campaign" against his wife - Associated Newspapers said they stood by the story they published and will be "defending this case vigorously".