Prince Harry’s legal battle against the Mail on Sunday took a significant step forward on Friday, December 8, 2023, as a judge at the High Court in London ruled that his libel case could proceed to trial.
The lawsuit stems from an article published in February 2022, which alleged that Harry had attempted to keep secret the details of his fight to reinstate his police protection, and that his aides had tried to spin the story positively.
Mr Justice Nicklin, the presiding judge, dismissed the newspaper’s arguments that the case was brought too late and that Harry should be held responsible for statements made by his public relations team.
He stated that the article implied Harry had sought unduly broad confidentiality restrictions and had deliberately misled and confused the public.
This ruling is a setback for Harry, who had hoped to avoid a lengthy and costly court battle that may shed light on his strained relationship with the royal family and the British government.
This is not the first time Prince Harry has taken legal action against the Mail on Sunday.
In July 2023, he successfully sued the newspaper for libel over an article falsely accusing him of abandoning the Royal Marines.
However, he still faces another lawsuit from Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Mail on Sunday, regarding the publication of Meghan’s letter to her estranged father in 2019.
Meghan initially won the case in February 2021, but the publisher was granted permission to appeal in October 2021.
Adding to Prince Harry’s legal troubles, his co-author Omid Scobie, a British journalist based in the US, is being sued by the palace for revealing the names of two members of the royal family who allegedly made racist remarks about the skin color of Harry and Meghan’s son, Archie.
These names, King Charles and Catherine, Princess of Wales, were included in the Dutch translation of their book, “Endgame,” but not in the English version.
The Dutch publisher, Zander Uitgever, claimed it was a translation error and recalled the book.
However, the names had already spread widely on social media and were reported by some media outlets, including Piers Morgan on his TV show, “Piers Morgan Uncensored,” on Wednesday, November 29, 2023.
Scobie, who had previously expressed concerns about potential libel lawsuits, now faces legal action from the palace, which accuses him of breaching confidentiality and damaging the monarchy’s reputation.
While Prince Harry is entangled in these legal battles, his wife Meghan appears to be distancing herself from the situation and focusing on her Hollywood career.
The former actress, known for her role in the TV show “Suits,” has reportedly signed a lucrative deal with Netflix to produce and star in a series of documentaries, dramas, and comedies.
Some of these projects will draw inspiration from her own life experiences as a royal and a biracial woman.
Meghan has also been seen shopping and socializing with her celebrity friends in Montecito, where she and Harry purchased a $14 million mansion last year.
In conclusion, Prince Harry’s lawsuit against the Mail on Sunday has been given the green light to proceed to trial by a judge at the High Court in London.