Prince Harry Ordered to Pay British Newspaper More Than $60k in Ongoing Libel Case
Prince Harry was ordered to pay the publisher of a British newspaper more than $60,000 in damages this week.
Dec. 11 2023, Published 4:00 p.m. ET
Prince Harry was ordered to pay the publisher of a British newspaper more than $60,000 in damages this week after he lost a legal challenge in his ongoing libel case against the outlet, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The sudden development comes as Prince Harry continues to sue the Mail on Sunday’s publisher, Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), over an article about his legal battle with the Home Office regarding his security arrangements in the United Kingdom.
Prince Harry was ordered to pay the Mail on Sunday $60,865 by December 29.
According to Daily Mail, a High Court judge ruled on Monday that ANL can proceed with their "honest opinion" defense and that Harry must pay the newspaper $60,865 by December 29.
Monday’s ruling came after the High Court heard Harry's challenge to have part of ANL's defense thrown out back in March.
Harry’s lawyers reportedly argued at the time that the original article was “libelous” and attacked the renegade royal’s "honesty and integrity."
The article, which was titled How Prince Harry tried to keep his legal fight with the government over bodyguards a secret, suggested that Harry had "lied" and "tried to keep details of his legal battle to reinstate his police protection secret from the public."
Monday’s ruling came after the High Court heard Harry's challenge to have part of ANL's defense thrown out back in March.
ANL later countered the Duke of Sussex’s claims and argued that their article expressed an "honest opinion" and did not cause "serious harm" to Harry's reputation.
Harry's lawyer responded that the newspaper's defense should be thrown out as it rested on "provably false premises" relating to a press statement released by the duke when he made the legal challenge, according to court documents.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Prince Harry's ongoing legal dispute with the Mail on Sunday is connected to a decision by the Royalty and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC) to not grant him automatic police protection in the UK after he stepped down as a senior member of the royal family and moved to California in February 2021.
Harry had allegedly offered to personally pay for UK police protection for himself and his family – a claim that was dismissed by RAVEC.
Prince Harry's ongoing legal dispute with the Mail on Sunday is connected to a decision by the Royalty and VIP Executive Committee to not grant him automatic police protection in the UK.
“The duke first offered to pay personally for UK police protection for himself and his family in January of 2020 at Sandringham,” Harry’s statement at the time said.
“That offer was dismissed,” it continued. “He remains willing to cover the cost of security, as not to impose on the British taxpayer.”
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The Mail on Sunday described RAVEC’s response as a "crushing rebuttal" to Harry's statement and implied that he had not always been willing to fund his security.
At the hearing in March, Harry's lawyer argued that the duke’s statement did not claim that he had made an offer to RAVEC or the Home Office or that his judicial review proceedings were to challenge a refusal to accept the offer.
A lawyer for ANL argued that Harry’s case against the publisher was "built on sand."
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ANL's lawyer countered Harry's attempt to dismiss their "honest opinion" defense as being "wholly without merit.” The lawyer also argued that Harry’s case against ANL was "built on sand."
The ruling on Prince Harry’s summary judgment application was delivered just one day after the High Court finished hearing Harry's claim that RAVEC’s decision to change the degree of his protection was "unlawful and unfair."
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