Meghan Markle 's half-sister has called for the duchess to be questioned on video in the defamation case brought against her.
The move is the latest development in the legal row between Samantha Markle, 57, who is is related to the Duchess of Sussex, 40, by her estranged father Thomas Markle.
It follows Meghan filing a motion to dismiss the case in which her half-sister is seeking £60,000 in damages.
Samantha claims her reputation was wrecked by comments the duchess made about her childhood during last year's tell-all TV interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Last night Samantha's lawyer Jamie Alan Sasson told the Mirror: "Our intention is to take this case to a jury trial."
He shared: "I feel confident we'll get past the motion to dismiss. We expect to start taking depositions in this case within the next six months."
Sasson said a move could even be made to ask for evidence from Prince Harry, 37, although he could refuse.
The lawyer said: "I think he would have relevant information."
However, Meghan has filed a 27-page court bid in Tampa, Florida to dismiss the case.
"This is a defamation case without any merit," claimed Meghan's lawyers in their motion filed on May 13.
Samantha has until June 3 to file a response, which will be considered by a US federal judge, who will then rule on whether the case can proceed.
Meghan's legal team include high-flying lawyers Ronnie Bitman, who represented the estate of dead singer Michael Jackson, and Michael Kump, who has acted for TV reality star Kim Kardashian.
Samantha claims she has been a victim of false and malicious statements which subjected her to worldwide humiliation.
She accused Meghan of concocting a "false narrative and fairy-tale life story".
If Meghan's questioning on video goes ahead, it would be as a deposition – part of what is called the discovery process in the US, where 99 out of 100 civil cases settle out of court before trial.
Prince Andrew was prepared to give one in his battle with sex accuser Virginia Giuffre before settling out of court on no admission of liability having strongly denied all her allegations.
Samantha also complains about claims in the book Finding Freedom, a biography by journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand of Meghan's early days with Harry.
The duchess later admitted to the High Court in London that the book was written with the help of her friends.
Referring to the book at the centre of the case, they added: "The authors of Finding Freedom made the statements, and there are no allegations – nor could there be – that Meghan wrote that book or otherwise controlled its composition and editing."
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