Friday's legal ruling is the first stage in the lawsuit, which is expected to go to a full trial in late 2020 or early 2021.

In response to the ruling, Meghan’s legal team made it clear that despite the setback they would “continue to move forward” with her case, which is based around five articles published by the Mail on Sunday and MailOnline in February 2019.

“Today’s ruling makes very clear that the core elements of this case do not change and will continue to move forward,” a spokesperson for Schillings law firm says in a release. “The Duchess’ rights were violated; the legal boundaries around privacy were crossed. As part of this process, the extremes to which The Mail on Sunday used distortive, manipulative, and dishonest tactics to target The Duchess of Sussex have been put on full display.”

RELATED: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Private Texts to Her Father Disclosed in New Legal Documents

While Meghan will not dispute the ruling, her legal team added that they were “surprised” that Warby ruled that dishonest behavior was not "relevant" to the case.

“We feel honesty and integrity are at the core of what matters; or as it relates to the Mail on Sunday and Associated Newspapers, their lack thereof,” adds the spokesperson from Schillings.

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“Nonetheless, we respect the Judge's decision as the strong case against Associated will continue to focus on the issue of a private, intimate and hand-written letter from a daughter to her father that was published by the  Mail on Sunday. This gross violation of any person's right to privacy is obvious and unlawful, and the Mail on Sunday should be held to account for their actions."

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