Prince Harry has lost his latest legal battle against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail, after a UK court dismissed his claims that the media group unlawfully obtained private information about him.

The ruling brings to an end Harry’s final lawsuit targeting the British tabloid publisher, with the court finding that the evidence presented was insufficient to support allegations of unlawful information gathering.

Judge finds evidence lacking

In his judgment, Justice Matthew Nicklin rejected the wider conclusions drawn by the claimants, saying the court could not assume that private information had been obtained illegally simply because the publisher could not explain every source, NDTV reported.

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“In substance, the claimants’ case invites the Court to conclude that, because the information was private and because Associated cannot positively explain how it was sourced, the article must have been unlawfully sourced,” Nicklin wrote. “That is not a permissible approach.”

The lawsuit had been brought by Harry along with six other claimants, including Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, activist Doreen Lawrence, former politician Simon Hughes and David Furnish.

Publisher welcomes verdict

Following the judgment, Associated Newspapers described the outcome as an “overwhelming victory” and a “magnificent vindication” of its journalism.

“The reputations of our decent and hard-working journalists were terribly impugned, and today they have been exonerated,” the publisher said in a statement, per NDTV report.

The company had consistently denied the allegations, arguing that the reports in question were based on lawful sources, including friends, royal aides and publicists.

Harry’s long-running fight with tabloids

The decision adds another chapter to Harry’s years-long legal campaign against sections of the British press.

In 2023, he secured a court ruling against the publisher of the Daily Mirror, where the court found evidence of widespread phone hacking. More recently, The Sun settled a separate privacy case after issuing an apology and agreeing to pay damages.

During the current trial, Harry spoke about the personal impact of media intrusion.

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“They continue to come after me, they have made my wife’s life an absolute misery,” he testified as he choked back tears in the witness box during the trial in January.

The ruling was delivered while Harry was in the UK, where attention has also remained on his efforts to repair strained ties with King Charles III and Prince William.

FAQs:

Why did Prince Harry lose the lawsuit?

The judge ruled there was insufficient evidence to prove that the publisher had obtained information through unlawful means.

Who else was part of the lawsuit?

The claim was filed by Prince Harry along with Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley, David Furnish, Sadie Frost, Doreen Lawrence and Simon Hughes.