Prince Harry has lost his legal case against Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL), the publisher of the Daily Mail, after the High Court dismissed all of his claims relating to alleged unlawful information gathering.
The judgment, delivered by Mr Justice Nicklin following the conclusion of the trial in March, dismissed all 14 claims brought by the Duke of Sussex concerning various newspaper articles. Other prominent claimants, including Sir Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, also had their cases dismissed.
The ruling was made public as Prince Harry began a week-long visit to the United Kingdom for events marking the Invictus Games.
Prince Harry and the other claimants had alleged that unlawful methods were used to obtain information, including voicemail interception, landline tapping and deceptive practices known as “blagging.” They argued that these actions caused significant emotional distress and amounted to a serious breach of privacy.
Associated Newspapers consistently denied the allegations, maintaining that its reporting relied on lawful sources and arguing that the claims lacked merit and were filed outside the legal time limits.
During his testimony, Prince Harry told the court that he did not challenge some of the articles when they were published because of restrictions linked to the institution he belonged to at the time. He also claimed that false information had been deliberately included in certain stories to conceal any alleged unlawful reporting methods.
The publisher, however, maintained that its journalists relied on legitimate sources, including friends, acquaintances, press officers, spokespersons, freelance journalists, previous media reports and other news agencies.
Responding to suggestions that information may have come from people close to him, Prince Harry insisted that his social circle was not a source of leaks, adding that he would end contact with anyone he suspected of sharing private information.
The court’s decision came during Harry’s UK visit, which has also been marked by uncertainty surrounding accommodation arrangements. A spokesperson for the Duke said an offer for him to stay at a royal residence had been withdrawn after he had accepted it, despite alternative security arrangements already being put in place. The spokesperson questioned the timing of the decision, noting that those involved had been aware of the court’s ruling before the accommodation offer was reportedly withdrawn.
