Prince Harry has suffered a setback during his visit to the United Kingdom, losing a significant privacy lawsuit against Associated Newspapers Limited, the publisher of the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday. The ruling came on July 7, when the U.K.'s High Court dismissed the claims brought by Harry and six other claimants, including Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley.
The court found that the claimants had failed to prove their allegations of "clear, systematic and sustained use of unlawful information gathering" by the publisher over decades. Associated Newspapers welcomed the judgment, calling it an "overwhelming victory" and a "magnificent vindication of the Daily Mail's journalism."
A spokesperson for the publisher stated that "no credible evidence was ever presented" for the claims, which they described as "lurid and preposterous" and part of a "fishing expedition by the claimants and their legal teams in a politically motivated campaign to muzzle the free press."
Prince Harry, who was the lead claimant, had testified in court that the media coverage had made him "paranoid beyond belief" and intensified during his relationship with Meghan Markle. He claimed the outlet's reporting made Meghan's life "an absolute misery" and that the "vicious" and "sometimes racist" coverage following the start of their relationship in 2016 intensified during her pregnancy and after the birth of their son, Prince Archie.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals in 2020 and relocated to California, citing intense media scrutiny and a lack of support from the palace.
This legal defeat adds to a turbulent period for Prince Harry's visit to Britain. Earlier in the week, reports emerged that an offer for him to stay at a royal residence had been withdrawn. Harry's spokesperson stated the offer was withdrawn after he formally accepted it, while palace sources disputed this, claiming Harry missed a deadline and his later acceptance came too late.
Additionally, Prince Harry was denied the restoration of taxpayer-funded security by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (RAVEC). His team reportedly explored enhanced private security arrangements for his visit. It was also reported that his wife and children would not accompany him on the trip, as they would only receive police protection while on royal property.