- Prince Harry withdraws libel suit
- Legal disputes with newspapers
- Phone hacking allegations continue
According to Associated Newspapers, Prince Harry has withdrawn his libel suit against the Mail on Sunday publisher.
After stepping down from his position as a senior royal, the 39-year-old Duke of Sussex filed a lawsuit over an article detailing the publicly funded security arrangements he utilized while visiting the United Kingdom.
The Daily Mail stated in an online article that he “abandoned his case” hours before a court deadline.
It stated that the prince would be responsible for the £250,000 legal fees of the publisher.
A February 2022 issue of The Mail on Sunday detailed the prince’s legal dispute with the Home Office regarding modifications to his publicly-funded security that took place after he retired from working royal duties and relocated to the United States.
A spokesperson for the Sussexes stated that the duke was concentrating on the welfare of his family and his legal case against the Home Office following the dismissal of the claim.
The libel suit that has since been withdrawn is distinct. It differs from the prince’s pending trial-ready allegations of unlawfully obtaining information from Associated Newspapers.
Regarding allegations of phone eavesdropping, the publisher of the Daily Mirror recently awarded Prince Harry damages.
The prince, in his protracted libel lawsuit against Associated Newspapers, contended that the article erroneously implied he had “lied.” He also argued that it “cynically” attempted to sway public opinion.
Legal Battle Over Article
The article was described in the headline as an “attempt to conceal the duke’s legal dispute with the government regarding police bodyguards,” and his attorneys argued that it constituted “an assault on his honesty and integrity.”
Publisher denied claim, saying article was “honest opinion” and did not cause “serious harm” to his reputation.
A three-day trial was scheduled for May 17–July 31 before the lawsuit was dismissed.
A month ago, Prince Harry suffered a setback in the legal dispute when his attorneys were unable to convince a magistrate to dismiss a portion of the defence presented by Associated Newspapers.
Mr. Justice Nicklin said the newspaper group’s “honest opinion” claim had a “real prospect” of success.
A different judge has yet to render a decision on the prince’s claim against the Home Office that an increase in his level of personal protection while in the United Kingdom was “illegal and unjust.”
This is among several legal disputes in which Prince Harry has been embroiled.
A court ruling in November permitted a group of prominent individuals, including the duke, to proceed with their allegations of illicitly acquiring information against Associated Newspapers; this decision established the foundation for a trial.
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Prominent Figures Allege Privacy Violations
In addition to the prince, Sir Elton John, David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, Sir Simon Hughes, and Baroness Doreen Lawrence have all lodged allegations against the publisher alleging “egregious breaches of privacy.”
In a distinct matter, Harry testified in a trial concerning a damages claim against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), the publisher of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, and Sunday People, regarding purported phone hacking, from the witness box last year.
After a court granted him £140,600 in damages in December, a victim’s legal team began a criminal inquiry.
The prince is also suing News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun, for illegal information collecting.
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