Prince Harry wins case vs Mail on Sunday over 'defamatory' story, may proceed with libel suit

MANILA, Philippines — A British judge has ruled in favor of Prince Harry over a story by tabloid newspaper the Mail on Sunday (MoS) which was found to be "defamatory" against the Duke of Sussex.

The case stems from a story MoS wrote about Harry when he filed a claim against the British government when he sought a judicial review to force the government to provide police protection for himself, his wife Meghan Markle, and their children Archie and Lilibet whenever they visit the United Kingdom.

Harry and Meghan lost their rights to full protection when they announced in 2020 they were "stepping back" from royal duties and moved from England to California in the United States.

The couple said they were willing to pay for security arrangements, opting for police protection rather than private security; MoS reported that Harry's offer to pay was untrue and to be kept a secret, prompting the British prince to file a case — particularly taking offense to the claim that he authorized the use of "spin doctors" to mislead individuals.

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The official ruling against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), owner of MoS, says that the articles caused “serious damage to [Harry's] reputation and substantial hurt, embarrassment and distress which is continuing.”

While the judge's ruling that the story was defamatory, ANL and MoS can still file a defense against the claim, which may lead up to a libel lawsuit.

Among Harry' requests is aggravated damages for libel, an injunction barring MoS from republishing the defamatory claim, and an order to compel MoS to publish the decision.

Meghan had previously won against ANL an MoS, this time for invasion of privacy and copyright infringement, after the tabloid published about a letter she wrote to her father Thomas.

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