Prince Harry has lost a major privacy lawsuit against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday. The High Court in London delivered the ruling on Tuesday.
The case was filed in 2022. Prince Harry joined several well-known public figures, including singer Elton John, actress Elizabeth Hurley, actress Sadie Frost, campaigner Doreen Lawrence, and former politician Sir Simon Hughes.
The group claimed that newspaper stories published between the 1990s and 2011 were based on information gathered through unlawful methods. They alleged phone hacking, voicemail interception, and the use of deception to obtain private information.
Justice Matthew Nicklin ruled that the claimants did not provide enough evidence to prove these allegations against the publisher. The judge said the reports could have been based on lawful sources. Associated Newspapers denied all wrongdoing throughout the case and welcomed the judgment, calling it a major legal victory.
The lawsuit sought substantial financial compensation. Legal costs for the case were estimated at around £40 million.
Prince Harry has pursued several legal battles against British newspapers in recent years. In an earlier case against Mirror Group Newspapers, the court found evidence of unlawful phone hacking linked to some stories about him. He received damages after the court ruled that several articles were obtained through illegal information gathering.
He also reached a settlement with News Group Newspapers in a separate case, which included an apology and compensation. Despite this latest setback, Prince Harry has remained one of the most active members of the British royal family in challenging media practices through the courts.