Prince Harry loses privacy lawsuit against Daily Mail publisher
On Tuesday, Prince Harry faced a setback in his legal fight against British tabloids when Justice Matthew Nicklin ruled against him. He found that Harry's claims of privacy breaches by Associated Newspapers, which publishes the Daily Mail, lacked sufficient evidence. The judge also dismissed broad allegations that the paper used illegal tactics, suggesting the information may have been obtained legitimately. This ruling negatively affected similar lawsuits from Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley, and four others who were seeking substantial damages. Costs from the lengthy preparation and an 11-week trial are around £40 million (US$53.5 million). Associated Newspapers celebrated the outcome as a significant victory for their journalism. This was Harry's third and final case regarding phone tapping or private investigator misuse, where he expressed concerns about his life being monitored for profit.
Key facts
- Prince Harry lost his privacy invasion lawsuit against the Daily Mail publisher.
- Justice Matthew Nicklin rejected Harry's claims that Associated Newspapers used unlawful tactics.
- The judge said there was a realistic possibility that news came from legitimate sources.
- The ruling also affects lawsuits by Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley.
- Legal costs were estimated at about £40 million (US$53.5 million).
- Associated Newspapers called it an overwhelming victory and magnificent vindication.
- This was the third and final of Harry's lawsuits against tabloid publishers.
- Harry alleged his every move was tracked for the Mail to make money.
Entities
Institutions
- Associated Newspapers
- Daily Mail
- Mail on Sunday
- High Court
- Leveson Inquiry
- Invictus Games
- BBC
- News Group Newspapers
- Mirror Group Newspapers
- Sun
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom