Prince Harry Takes on the Mail on Sunday in High-Stakes Libel Case

In a dramatic turn of events, Prince Harry is taking legal action against the Mail on Sunday for libel.

This lawsuit stems from an article published in February 2022 that alleged he attempted to conceal details regarding his legal battle to restore his police protection.

The article further claimed that his aides were working to spin the narrative in a more favorable light.

On December 8, 2023, a judge at the High Court in London, Mr. Justice Nicklin, ruled that the article was indeed defamatory, allowing the case to move forward to trial.

This ruling marks a significant moment in Harry's ongoing struggle with media portrayal and public perception.

The judge dismissed the newspaper's claims that Harry had filed the case too late and insisted that he bore responsibility for statements made by his public relations team.

The court found that the article insinuated Harry sought excessive confidentiality measures, which could mislead the public about the true nature of his situation.

This ruling represents a setback for the prince, who was hoping to sidestep a prolonged and expensive court battle.

Such a trial could potentially unearth more details about his already strained relationships with both the royal family and the British government.

This isn't Harry's first legal victory against the Mail on Sunday.

Back in July 2023, he successfully sued the publication over another article that falsely accused him of abandoning the Royal Marines.

However, his legal woes are far from over.

He faces an additional lawsuit from Associated Newspapers regarding a letter written by his wife, Meghan Markle, to her estranged father, which the newspaper partially published in 2019.

Meghan initially triumphed in this case in February 2021, but the publisher was granted permission to appeal in October 2021, keeping the case alive and contentious.

Adding to the complexity of Harry's legal battles, his co-author, Omid Scobie, is currently being sued by the palace for naming two royal family members who allegedly made racist comments about their son, Archie, before his birth.

The names of these royals—King Charles and Catherine, Princess of Wales—were included in the Dutch translation of Scobie's book, “Endgame,” but not in the English version.

The publisher of the Dutch edition, Zaander Uitgeveer, has since claimed that the inclusion of the names was a translation error and has pulled the book from shelves.

Unfortunately, the damage was done; the information circulated widely on social media and was reported by various media outlets.

Piers Morgan, a former friend turned critic of Harry and Meghan, even named the royals on his show, “Piers Morgan Uncensored,” on November 29, 2023.

Scobie, who previously expressed concern about potential libel suits for naming the royals, now finds himself in a precarious legal position, facing accusations of breaching confidentiality and harming the monarchy's reputation.

While Harry navigates these tumultuous legal waters, Meghan appears to be carving out her own path, seemingly distancing herself from the drama surrounding her husband.

The former actress, known for her role in “Suits,” has reportedly signed a lucrative deal with Netflix to develop and star in a variety of projects, including documentaries and dramas that draw inspiration from her life experiences as a royal and a biracial woman.