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Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, has lost his legal battle against the publisher of the Daily Mail over claims of unlawful information gathering, adding another setback to his return to the United Kingdom (UK).
A written judgement from London’s High Court, published after an 11-week trial, said Harry and other claimants failed to prove their allegations.
“The claimants failed to prove their pleaded allegations… the claims are therefore dismissed,” the court stated.
The ruling was delivered while Harry attended an Invictus Games event in London.
Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail, described the decision as an “overwhelming victory” and a “magnificent vindication of the Daily Mail’s journalism.”
The company said the court dismissed all 97 allegations brought against it and accepted the evidence presented by its journalists on how stories were obtained.
It also rejected claims that journalists had placed tracking devices, accessed private accounts, listened to phone calls, or carried out other forms of illegal surveillance.
Associated Newspapers described the allegations as “lurid” and “preposterous,” saying there was “no credible evidence” to support them.
“The reputations of our decent and hard-working journalists were terribly impugned, and today they have been exonerated,” the publisher said.
Harry’s spokesperson has not issued an immediate response to the ruling.
The case was Harry’s third and final legal action against British tabloid publishers and has further deepened tensions surrounding his relationship with the royal family.
The Duke of Sussex is now facing another hearing on July 29 and 30, during which he and six other claimants could be ordered to pay substantial legal costs.
Associated Newspapers said it had spent £50 million ($66 million) defending the case.
Harry had given emotional testimony during the trial, alongside other high-profile figures, including singer Elton John and actor Elizabeth Hurley, who also accused the publisher of invading their privacy.
The ruling came during Harry’s five-day visit to the UK to mark the one-year countdown to the next Invictus Games in Birmingham.
The visit has also been affected by security concerns following Harry’s family’s denial of police protection during UK visits.
A source close to the Duke said his wife, Meghan Markle, son, Archie, and daughter, Lilibet, would not join him in London during the trip.
It remains unclear whether Harry will meet his father, King Charles III, during the visit.
Harry and Meghan moved to North America in 2020 after stepping back from royal duties, with their relationship with the royal family worsening after Harry’s memoir, “Spare,” was published.
The prince has repeatedly said he wants to rebuild his relationship with his father.
