Prince Harry drops libel lawsuit against Daily Mail publisher
Prince Harry is dropping a lawsuit against the Daily Mail's publisher after he was unable to win the libel case before a trial and was ordered to pay tens of thousands of pounds in legal fees.
Harry's lawyers on Friday told the High Court in London that his case against Associated Newspapers Ltd won't proceed, without providing a reason.
This came after a judge in December ordered the Duke of Sussex to pay the publisher almost 50,000 pounds, or more than $60,000, in legal fees after he failed to win the case without a trial. At the time, Justice Matthew Nicklin said that a libel trial would be scheduled for between May and July.
Harry must now pay the publisher's legal fees, which the Daily Mail reported to be 250,000 pounds, or about $316,000. A spokesperson for the duke said it was premature to speculate about costs.
Why was Prince Harry suing the Daily Mail's publisher?
In his lawsuit, Harry claimed that an article in the Mail on Sunday, sister paper to Daily Mail, accused him of trying to mislead the public about a legal battle with the government over his police protection, which was stripped away when he and his wife, Duchess Meghan, announced they would no longer be working royals.
Harry's lawyers claimed the article attacked his honesty and integrity by purporting to reveal that court documents "contradicted public statements he had previously made about his willingness to pay for police protection for himself and his family whilst in the U.K." He said the article would undermine his charity work.
The publisher argued the article expressed an honest opinion and caused no serious harm to his reputation.
Harry attempted to win the case without going to trial in March by seeking a summary judgment, but was unsuccessful. Nicklin determined that the publisher had a "real prospect" of showing statements issued on Harry's behalf were misleading and that the February 2022 article reflected an "honest opinion" and wasn't libelous.
"The defendant may well submit that this was a masterclass in the art of 'spinning,'" Nicklin wrote.
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Harry, 39, the estranged younger son of King Charles III, has broken ranks with the royal family in his willingness to go to court and it has become the main forum for his battles with the British press.
Associated Newspapers is one of three tabloid publishers he's suing over claims they used unlawful means, such as deception, phone hacking or hiring private investigators, to try to dig up dirt on him. In December, Harry won a lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mirror after a judge found Mirror Group Newspapers' phone hacking was "widespread and habitual." He was awarded more than 140,000 pounds, or about $180,000.
Prince Harry's lawsuits:What to know, from phone hacking to aerial photos
Harry is also suing to try and overturn the decision to eliminate state-funded protection given he and his wife are not part of the working-royal group. Harry's spokesperson said his focus remains on that case and his family’s safety.
Contributing: Brian Melley, The Associated Press; Marco della Cava, USA TODAY