Prince Harry has withdrawn his libel claim against the publisher of the Mail on Sunday, a spokesperson for the company has said.
The Duke of Sussex sued Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over a February 2022 article about his legal challenge against the Home Office following a decision to change his publicly funded security arrangements when visiting the UK.
The story claimed Harry “tried to keep details of his legal battle to reinstate his police protection secret from the public”.
It was published under the headline: “Exclusive: How Prince Harry tried to keep his legal fight with the government over police bodyguards a secret… then – just minutes after the story broke – his PR machine tried to put a positive spin on the dispute.”
The duke’s lawyers claimed the story “purported to reveal, in sensational terms” that information from 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 UK”.
They also alleged the article was “an attack on his honesty and integrity”, and would undermine his charity work and efforts to tackle misinformation online.
In July last year, a judge found that the meaning of some parts of the article could be considered defamatory, concluding that they gave the reader the impression Prince Harry was intentionally attempting to mislead the public.
However, ANL – which also publishes the Daily Mail and Mail Online – contested Harry’s libel claim, arguing that the article expressed an “honest opinion” and did not cause “serious harm” to his reputation.
In a ruling last month, the duke lost a bid to have ANL’s “honest opinion” thrown out by a judge.
Mr Justice Nicklin concluded the publisher had a “real prospect” of arguing its case that previous press statements from Harry provided a “misleading” description of his case against the Home Office.
The duke was ordered to pay £48,447 towards the publisher’s lawyers’ bills for that section of the claim, the result of which moved the case towards a trial, which had been scheduled to take place between May and July.
Harry is separately taking action against the Home Office over the decision to change his publicly funded security arrangements when visiting the UK.
He has argued that the decision to take away his police protection was not taken correctly and that it was unfair and unreasonable.
At a three-day hearing in that case, held at the High Court in December, lawyers representing the duke said Harry was concerned his children Archie and Lilibet would not be able to “feel at home” in the UK should it not be “possible to keep them safe”.
A different judge is dealing with that case and a judgment is expected at a later date.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
