Prince Harry Files Libel Lawsuit Against ‘Daily Mail’ Publisher

Prince Harry is taking one of Britain’s biggest publishers to court.

According to Reuters, the 37-year-old Duke of Sussex has filed a libel lawsuit against Associated Newspapers Limited—the newspaper group behind well-known titles like Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday. The outlet reports the complaint is centered around a Feb. 20 Mail article that included claims about Harry’s dealings with the UK government and his efforts to increase his security.

In 2020, Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, announced their decision to give up their official royal titles, duties, and funding from the Sovereign Grant. Because of this, the couple, who tied the knot in 2018, were forced to cover the cost of their own private security; but, as reported by Reuters, Harry’s legal team argued that the private security arrangements didn’t provide them with enough protection during Harry and Markle’s trips to Britain, so their client offered to pay for police protection. 

According to the Daily article, Harry sued the UK government after it rejected his request for police security, as it was tax-payer funded. The story also alleged Harry tried to keep the details of the lawsuit hidden from the public, and went so far as to request a confidentiality order on documents related to the complaint.

A spokesperson for Harry confirmed to Reuters that their client was, in fact, suing Associated Newspapers Limited, but didn’t provide any more details.

In 2021, Markle successfully sued the Mail on Sunday over a 2018 article that included portions of a private letter she had written to her estranged father. She was awarded a symbolic £1 ($1.36) in damages.