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Prince Harry has dropped his lawsuit for defamation against Associated Newspapers, the company that owns The Mail on Sunday.
Prince Harry filed a lawsuit against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) for publishing an article in February 2022 that discussed his legal dispute with the Home Office. This dispute arose after the Home Office decided to alter the security arrangements for his public visits to the UK.
The article stated that Harry, who is 39 years old, attempted to conceal information about his legal fight to regain his police protection from the public.
The attorneys for the duke argued that it supposedly exposed, in a dramatic manner, that details from legal papers contradicted his previous statements about being willing to cover the cost of police protection for himself and his family while in the United Kingdom.
ANL disputed the allegation, stating that the piece conveyed a sincere viewpoint and did not significantly damage their reputation.
According to reports, the duke may be required to cover the newspaper’s expenses of £250,000 as well as his own legal fees totaling £500,000.
The civil lawsuit was on track for a three-day trial set to take place from May 17 to July 31 this year. However, Harry has conceded and dropped his case just before the deadline for his lawyers to provide a list of pertinent documents.
According to the Mail, the duke is now responsible for covering the newspaper’s expenses of £250,000 as well as his own legal fees of £500,000, resulting in a total payment of over £750,000.
Last month, a judge denied Harry’s attempt to dismiss ANL’s “honest opinion” defense and he was instructed to pay £48,447 to cover the publisher’s legal expenses.
The High Court judge, Mr Justice Nicklin, decided that ANL was allowed to use the honest opinion defense. He stated that if the case went to trial, the newspaper could argue that it had effectively used spin to mislead or confuse the public.
The publisher’s spokesperson confirmed that Harry had dropped his lawsuit.
Harry is currently waiting for a decision from another judge regarding his separate case against the Home Office. This case pertains to their decision to alter the level of protection he receives.
He is disputing the Royal and VIP Executive Committee’s (Ravec) ruling to deny him automatic police protection in the UK after resigning as a high-ranking member of the British royal family and relocating to California with his family.
During the written submissions, Harry’s attorney Justin Rushbrooke KC contended that the newspaper’s defense should be dismissed due to its reliance on “two demonstrably untrue assumptions” regarding a press statement issued by Harry during his legal dispute.
In January 2020 at Sandringham, the duke initially proposed to personally cover the expenses for UK police protection for himself and his family.
“The offer was rejected, but he is still willing to pay for security expenses to avoid burdening the British taxpayer.”
According to Ravec, he did not formally propose his offer of private funding to the department.
The Mail characterized this as a “devastating response” to Harry’s first public statement, which hinted that he had always been willing to pay for expenses. The article also noted that the press release from the duke’s team created confusion and gave inaccurate information to the public.
A representative for the Sussexes stated that the duke’s top priority is the well-being of his family and his ongoing legal battle with the Home Office.
“The complaint was filed years ago, as is common in legal proceedings,” stated the spokesperson. “Since then, the main hearing for the duke’s judicial review has occurred and we are currently awaiting the final decision on whether Ravec’s security actions were lawful.”
He continues to prioritize his family’s safety instead of the ongoing legal proceedings that only serve to give the Mail’s false accusations from years ago more attention.
The announcement was made on the same day it was revealed that Harry may not have been aware of King Charles’s health issue before it was made public. Buckingham Palace disclosed earlier this week that the King will be hospitalized next week for an enlarged prostate.
Source: independent.co.uk
