Prince Harry arrived in London on Monday, July 6 amid the ongoing drama surrounding his accommodations at Buckingham Palace, and on July 7, he received the news that he’d lost his High Court privacy case against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday.
The Duke of Sussex was joined by six other claimants in the suit, including Sir Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley, and all 97 allegations made against Associated Newspapers were dismissed. Prince Harry appeared in court in January during the trial, during which the duke and his fellow claimants accused the publisher of unlawful information gathering from 1993 to 2011.
Harry and the other claimants alleged that the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday had used tactics such as phone hacking and bugging vehicles and homes in order to gain information for stories.
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Per the Daily Mail, the judge’s ruling included comments on Prince Harry’s testimony, with Justice Nicklin stating, “it was apparent that he wished the court to understand the personal impact of the matters in issue. At times, this led him beyond giving factual evidence into advancing arguments on the issues.”
“As I indicated to Prince Harry at the time, that is not uncommon: many litigants feel a strong instinct to argue their case themselves,” the judge added. “Overall, this did not affect the quality of Prince Harry’s evidence, which I accept. As with each of the claimants, Prince Harry has limited evidence to give on the contentious matters in dispute.”
While speaking during an Invictus Games event at Chatham House shortly after the verdict was issued, the Duke of Sussex appeared upbeat as he joked about air conditioning and praised the “unconquered spirit” of Invictus athletes in a video shared by People's Simon Perry. Prince Harry will head to Birmingham, England later this week to celebrate one year until the 2027 games, which will be held in the city.
A statement from Associated Newspapers called the victory “a magnificent vindication of the Daily Mail’s journalism” and “an overwhelming victory for the Daily Mail and its journalists, and for a free press generally.” The Duke of Sussex's team has yet to issue a statement.
