LONDON — Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, felt "unprotected by the institution" of Britain's royal family while in the press spotlight during her pregnancy, court documents released as part of a lawsuit against a British media company have revealed.

The latest court documents state that Meghan disabled her personal social media accounts after she was engaged to Harry and Kensington Palace took over managing much of their public communications

The media coverage of Meghan Markle by British tabloids, specifically those owned by Associated Newspapers, has "caused tremendous emotional distress and damage to her mental health," they add

The scrutiny of the Sussexes in the media came while Markle was pregnant with their son Archie and the documents say she was "unprotected by the Institution" of the royal family and "prohibited from defending herself."

The Sussexes went on to stun the public in January when they announced that they would "step back" from the royal family, divide their time between the United Kingdom and North America, and start paying their own bills