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Prince Harry has decided to withdraw his libel case against the Mail on Sunday concerning an article related to a security dispute. The Duke of Sussex made this decision just hours before the deadline for his legal team to provide a list of pertinent documents that could have played a role in the trial.
The lawsuit revolved around allegations that Prince Harry attempted to mislead the public, particularly regarding a dispute with the Home Office over the downgrading of his taxpayer-funded police protection. The Mail on Sunday claimed that Harry’s PR aides had tried to ‘spin’ the dispute, leading to the Duke filing a libel case.
Despite Harry’s lawyers expressing confidence and requesting a ruling in his favor without a trial, the request was denied by Mr. Justice Nicklin last month. The judge ruled that the newspaper had a ‘real prospect’ of showing that statements issued on Harry’s behalf were misleading, allowing the case to proceed to a libel trial.
As part of the standard legal process leading up to a trial, both parties are required to disclose relevant documents to each other. Today was the deadline for this disclosure, but Prince Harry’s legal team informed the newspaper that he was discontinuing the case just minutes after the deadline. This decision means Prince Harry may now have to cover the newspaper’s costs of £250,000, in addition to his own legal fees, resulting in a total legal bill exceeding £750,000.
The Mail on Sunday’s article, published in February 2022, reported on Prince Harry’s separate legal action against the Home Office for withdrawing his police bodyguards. The Mail on Sunday claimed that Prince Harry had tried to keep this Home Office battle secret, and the Duke filed a libel action arguing that the article was an attack on his honesty and integrity.
The newspaper contested the claim, relying on the defense that the article presented an ‘honest opinion.’ The case, which has now been discontinued, had the potential to reveal relevant documents and details related to the dispute between Prince Harry and the Mail on Sunday.
