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Meghan Markle has claimed that the newspaper crossed "obvious ethical boundaries" by operating at the hospital room of her estranged father, after his assertions that he had not received his daughter's messages.

A Public Appeal and a Private Struggle

Meghan's father publicly asked Meghan to see him in a recent newspaper interview, after having major surgery in the Philippines.

Nonetheless, a representative for Meghan said that she had been trying to contact her father and criticised the paper's actions.

"Considering a Daily Mail reporter has stayed at her father’s bedside the entire time, publicizing each exchange and breaching obvious ethical lines, it has been extremely hard for the royal to contact her father in private, despite her attempts over the past few days," the representative said. "Thanks to reliable and trusted contacts, her message is now securely in his hands."

Outlet's Denial

A spokesperson for the publishing group of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday rejected unethical behaviour and stated that Mr. Markle was a longtime acquaintance of the reporter who spoke with him.

"When Thomas Markle was taken ill in the Philippines he contacted the journalist and asked her travel to be with him," said the spokesman. "Not only is she a journalist, she has been a friend to Mr Markle for years. She has been with Mr Markle in hospital every day, offering him care and support."

The company representative added, "It is entirely untrue that each exchange has been publicized, and the suggestion that ethical boundaries were breached is patently untrue and vehemently denied."

Background of Estrangement

The dispute follows a tense few days in which Meghan is understood to have been attempting to reach her father. Her representatives say they had struggled to locate him or find a way to communicate with him privately.

Meghan has been estranged from her father since her wedding, when she married Prince Harry. The father-daughter bond soured further after a private letter she wrote to him, parts of which were published in the Sunday paper, an act she said "marked the end of our relationship, not a reconciliation."

Forthcoming Court Case

This incident comes weeks before the Duke of Sussex is scheduled to start a legal case against the publisher of the Daily Mail over claims of unlawful information gathering.

In that court case, scheduled for next month, the publisher is being sued by Prince Harry and several other high-profile individuals. The plaintiffs allege the newspaper group carried out unlawful activities. The publisher strongly disputes all accusations.