Prince Harry Loses Bid To Have Mail On Sunday’s Libel Defence Thrown Out

Prince Harry sought to have the Mail On Sunday’s defence thrown out. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)

In a major setback for Prince Harry, a High Court judge will allow the Mail on Sunday’s publisher, Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL), to retain a crucial part of their defence in the ongoing libel lawsuit.

The decision, made on Friday, represents a significant hurdle to the Duke of Sussex’s case, battling ANL over a February 2022 article regarding his UK security arrangements. The contested article suggested Prince Harry had “lied” and “cynically” manipulated public opinion about the security dispute.

Despite the prince’s objections, the judge found ANL’s ‘honest opinion’ defence viable for trial, citing a “real prospect of success.” This decision comes amid a tumultuous week for the Harry, who is concurrently challenging the Home Office’s decision to downgrade his security status after stepping back from royal duties.

Central to the libel case is the Mail on Sunday’s claim that Prince Harry sought to “mislead and confuse” over the government dispute. The article’s headline accused the duke of initially hiding his legal battle and then attempting to sway public perception through his PR team.

Contradicting the report, Prince Harry insists he proposed funding his security during a 2020 Sandringham meeting, well before initiating legal action in 2021. However, ANL argues that this offer wasn’t made to the government, and the duke only approached the government following the judicial review proceedings.

In a pivotal ruling, Justice Nicklin acknowledged ANL’s potential to demonstrate at trial that Prince Harry had not offered to pay for his security to the government prior to the judicial review. The ‘honest opinion’ defence, safeguarding against defamation liability for opinion-based statements, now forms a cornerstone of ANL’s legal strategy.

As the high-profile legal battle intensifies, a full trial is slated for 2024.