Prince Harry has lost his lawsuit against the Daily Mail's UK publisher, Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), in a UK High Court decision delivered Tuesday. The judge ruled against the Duke of Sussex and six other defendants, dismissing their claims that ANL unlawfully obtained information about them.
The ruling concludes a protracted legal battle between Prince Harry and the British press, a conflict that previously resulted in settlements for Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, from other publications under the ANL umbrella.
In 2022, Prince Harry, alongside celebrities including Elizabeth Hurley, Elton John, and Sadie Frost, accused ANL of employing methods such as placing listening devices in vehicles and homes and utilizing private investigators to illegally gather information dating back to the 1990s and continuing until 2011. Harry also alleged that ANL targeted him and his inner circle by accessing landlines, voicemails, flight details, and phone records.
ANL, the publisher of the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday, has consistently denied these allegations, asserting that its information was obtained through legitimate means. The trial commenced in January at London's High Court and spanned 10 weeks.
During his testimony in January, Harry described his wife's time as a royal as "absolute misery" and stated that the legal process was a "horrible experience" and a "repeat of the past." He expressed frustration, saying, "It's fundamentally wrong to put us through this again when all we wanted was an apology and accountability. They continue to come after me. They have made my wife's life an absolute misery, my Lord."
He also recounted his past relationship with Chelsy Davy, alleging that the publication obtained private information about their relationship by hacking voicemails and other communications between himself and his friends. Harry questioned the credibility of articles citing "sources," noting the discrepancy between attributed quotes and the limited information shared by his close associates.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle married in 2018 and have been subjects of intense media attention since stepping back from their royal duties in 2020. Harry was in London to promote the Invictus Games, with the event scheduled to be hosted in Birmingham the following year. His children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, remained in California with their mother due to security concerns.