In a recent court ruling that could be seen as a blow to Prince Harry’s ongoing legal battles, a judge ordered the Duke of Sussex to pay nearly 50,000 pounds (over $60,000) in legal fees to the publisher of the Daily Mail.
This ruling is a part of Prince Harry’s failed libel lawsuit against Associated Newspapers Ltd., the publisher behind the Daily Mail.
The case centers on an article published in February 2022, which alleged that Prince Harry tried to keep his efforts to maintain publicly funded protection in the UK under wraps, even after stepping back from his royal duties.
Justice Matthew Nicklin of the High Court in London held that the publisher has a solid chance of proving that statements made on Harry’s behalf were potentially misleading.
Nicklin, in his judgement, hinted at a potential manipulation of facts by the defense, stating, “The defendant may well submit that this was a masterclass in the art of ‘spinning’.”
This suggests that the court is leaning towards viewing the article as an “honest opinion,” rather than as a libelous statement.
Prince Harry, 39, the younger son of King Charles III, has been vocal about his discontent with the article, labeling it as “fundamentally inaccurate.”
He asserts that the newspaper defamed him by implying he lied about his public statements concerning his challenge to the government’s decision to revoke his security detail.
The decision was made following his move to the U.S. with his family in 2020.
The Duke’s concerns about security are not just limited to this case. He is also involved in a separate legal battle against the British government’s decision to offer him security on a case-by-case basis during his visits to Britain.
Harry claims that the intense scrutiny and hostility he and his wife face on social media, coupled with relentless media attention, pose a significant threat to their safety.
Justice Nicklin has scheduled a three-to-four-day libel trial to be held between May 17 and July 31.
The legal fees ordered to be paid by December 29, amounting to 48,447 pounds ($60,927), are just a fraction of what Prince Harry might end up paying in another lawsuit against the publisher.
In this other lawsuit, he accuses the publisher, along with two other British tabloid publishers, of employing illegal tactics like deception and phone hacking to gather personal information about him.
Last month, the Mail publisher’s attempt to dismiss this lawsuit was unsuccessful, though they managed to bar some evidence from the trial.
Justice Nicklin, who is overseeing this case as well, is yet to decide on the lawyer’s costs for each party’s respective victories in this matter.
In a collective legal effort, Prince Harry, along with other public figures such as Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley, has reportedly spent 1.7 million pounds ($2.1 million) preparing and arguing their case in a hearing that spanned several days in March.
On the other hand, the publisher is seeking up to 755,000 pounds ($949,000) in legal fees.
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