Prince Harry Left With Huge Legal Bill After Dropping Libel Claim Against UK Publisher

The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, has dropped the defamation claim he filed against the publisher of the Mail.

His decision to do so could reportedly lead to him paying the publisher up to $316,000 in legal costs. He was previously ordered to pay $62,000 after a part of the case was thrown out last month by the court.

In what might seem to many as a surprising move, Prince Harry is no longer pursuing his libel claim against the publisher of the Mail, Associated Newspapers Limited, per reports.

The Invictus Games founder had sued the organization for an article in the Mail on Sunday that discussed his security arrangements in the UK. Harry claimed that the article suggested that he had "improperly and cynically tried to manipulate and confuse public opinion." The duke also felt the piece was "an attack on his honesty and integrity."

However, he now seems to have changed his mind about moving forward with the case, as his team filed a notice of discontinuance hours before the deadline was reached to pass over a list of documents.

There is nothing known about the documents, but it is believed that they could have eventually been featured in the trial. Obviously, it is something he is thinking twice about turning over. The duke and his lawyers have also not revealed why they chose to withdraw the case.

The latest development comes a month after Harry suffered a major loss as his lawyers failed to convince the court to throw out one of the key claims that the publishers made to defend themselves.

Lawyers for ANL had argued that the article in question, which was written in February 2022, expressed an "honest opinion" and did not in any way put Harry's reputation in serious harm."

The case judge, Mr. Justice Nicklin, agreed with their claim, ruling against the duke and setting up the matter for a potential libel trial.

Nicklin said in his ruling that ANL had "a real prospect of succeeding in demonstrating that an honest person could have held the opinion that the claimant [the duke] was responsible for attempting to mislead and confuse the public as to the true position."

Following the loss, Harry was ordered to pay $62,000 to the publisher for legal fees. His decision to discontinue the case completely means he might have to pay $316,000 in legal costs.

In the meantime, Harry's case against the Home Office is still ongoing. In a previous court appearance, the duke's lawyer claimed that the Home Office's Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) acted in an unbecoming way when they cut down on Harry's security.

The attorney further remarked that the committee did not conduct a risk analysis and fully assess the impact of a "successful attack" against the duke, per the Daily Mail. She also said that her client was "singled out" and treated "less favorably" with "no good reason" for such actions.

Meanwhile, the lawyer who represents the committee, argued that it was Ravec's right to opt for a "more bespoke, targeted assessment" of Harry's security. He also mentioned that doing so was not an act of treating Harry unfavorably. A ruling date on Harry's legal action against the Home Office remains unknown.

Back in December, a high court ruled in favor of the duke with regard to his case against the Mirror Group Newspapers, per the BBC.

Harry had claimed in his suit that the publication had unlawfully hacked into his phone to gather information for their writeups about him. The court ultimately gave a verdict that 15 out of the 33 stories examined during the trial were written with the aid of "widespread and habitual" use of phone hacking at the Mirror newspapers.

As a result, Prince Harry was awarded around $180,000 in damages incurred by the actions of the publication. In a statement after the win, the duke admonished others who were involved in such acts and underscored the importance of his victory.

Harry said, "This case is not just about hacking - it is about a systemic practice of unlawful and appalling behavior, followed by cover-ups and destruction of evidence, the shocking scale of which can only be revealed through these proceedings."

He added, "I've been told that slaying dragons will get you burned. But in light of today's victory and the importance of doing what is needed for a free and honest press - it's a worthwhile price to pay."