A British judge ruled on Tuesday that Prince Harry failed to demonstrate that Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) had invaded his privacy, effectively dismissing the royal’s final lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail. The ruling also brought an end to the claims of six other public figures who had joined the legal action, including musician Elton John and actresses Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost. The group had been seeking significant legal damages.
In his decision, Judge Matthew Nicklin stated that while suspicion might be understandable, it does not constitute proof of legal wrongdoing. He noted that the case lacked hard evidence against ANL. Furthermore, the judge pointed out that the journalists involved had provided lawful explanations regarding how they sourced the articles and incidents in question. Regarding some of the specific claims, the judge added that too much time had passed since the alleged offenses for them to be legally prosecuted.
An ANL spokesperson characterized the court’s ruling as a “vindication” for the Daily Mail. This case marks the conclusion of a series of three lawsuits Prince Harry has filed against UK media outlets, in which he alleged that he was subjected to phone hacking and the hiring of private investigators to track his movements. Other legal battles have seen varying outcomes, including a partial victory in a 2024 phone-hacking case and a settlement reached last year in a contentious case against the Rupert Murdoch-owned Sun.
Prince Harry is currently in the UK to promote the Invictus Games, his non-profit sports organization, and is not expected to issue a comment regarding the judge’s latest ruling.
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