MEGHAN MARKLE has won the right to protect the identities of five of her friends who were interviewed anonymously by People magazine.

The court action is part of the Duchess of Sussex’s ongoing dispute with Associated Newspapers, the Mail on Sunday and Mail Online.

Meghan is suing the publisher and the Mail on Sunday and Mail Online over the publication of extracts of a “private and confidential” letter she wrote to her father Thomas Markle.

Lawyers for The Mail have argued that five of Meghan’s friends made public the existence of the letter when they spoke to People magazine, and that meant Thomas Markle had a right to respond.

In the article published by the US celebrity magazine, the Duchess of Sussex’s friends spoke about her relationship with her estranged father.

Meghan, who celebrated her 39th birthday yesterday, has denied claims made by Associated Newspapers’ lawyers that she was aware her friends were speaking to People and gave approval for the article to be published.

A judge has ruled that the “for the time being” the duchess will be granted an order that keeps the identity of the five friends private, The Guardian reported.

“The duchess felt it was necessary to take this step to try and protect her friends – as any of us would – and we’re glad this was clear. We are happy that the Judge has agreed to protect these five individuals,” Hello magazine reported a source close to the team representing the duchess said.

In a written statement submitted to a previous court hearing, Justin Rushbrooke QC, who is representing the duchess said that forcing Meghan to share the identity of her friends would be an “unacceptably high price to pay” in her bid to claim her privacy had been invaded.