A judge mandated that Prince Harry must pay nearly £50,000 (over $60,000) in legal fees to the publisher of the Daily Mail tabloid after his unsuccessful court challenge in a libel lawsuit. The Duke of Sussex is suing Associated Newspapers Ltd. over an article alleging he attempted to conceal efforts to retain publicly funded protection in the UK after stepping back from his royal duties.
Justice Matthew Nicklin, ruling in the High Court in London, determined that the publisher has a “real prospect” of demonstrating that statements made on Harry’s behalf were misleading and that the February 2022 article represented an “honest opinion” rather than libel. Refusing to strike the honest opinion defense, Nicklin commented, “The defendant may well submit that this was a masterclass in the art of ‘spinning.'”
Harry contends that the article was “fundamentally inaccurate” and defamatory, particularly regarding claims that he lied in public statements about challenging the government’s decision to revoke his security detail when he moved to the U.S. in 2020.
The 39-year-old royal, son of King Charles III, also has a separate lawsuit challenging the government’s decision to provide him with protection on a case-by-case basis during visits to Britain, citing threats to safety from social media hostility and media scrutiny.
Nicklin scheduled a libel trial lasting three to four days between May 17 and July 31. While Harry was ordered to pay £48,447 ($60,927) in legal fees by December 29, this amount is likely overshadowed by costs in another lawsuit against the same publisher, where he alleges unlawful practices by three British tabloids, including phone hacking and hiring private investigators.
Associated Newspapers failed to dismiss that lawsuit last month, though it succeeded in excluding some evidence from trial. Nicklin, overseeing both cases, is deliberating on the awarded lawyer’s costs for each party. Harry, along with co-claimants Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley, revealed spending £1.7 million ($2.1 million) on their case, while the publisher seeks up to £755,000 ($949,000).
