January 19, 2024, 2:32 p.m. GMT
Updated 1 minute ago
According to Associated Newspapers, Prince Harry has withdrawn his defamation lawsuit against the publisher of the Mail on Sunday.
The 39-year-old Duke of Sussex was sued over an article about his publicly funded security arrangements during a visit to the United Kingdom after he stepped down as a senior member of the royal family.
It was said the prince was liable for the publisher's legal costs of £250,000.
The Mail on Sunday article, published in February 2022, had reported on the prince's legal challenge against the Home Office over changes to his publicly funded security made after he stopped being a working royal and moved to the United States was.
After the lawsuit was dropped, a spokesman for the Sussexes said the duke was instead focusing on his family's safety and his legal battle against the Home Office.
In the long-running libel case against Associated Newspapers, the prince had claimed the story falsely suggested he was “lying” and “cynically” trying to manipulate public opinion.
The headline said the Duke was “trying to keep his legal battle with the government over police bodyguards secret” and his lawyers argued the article was “an attack on his honesty and integrity.”
The editor disputed this claim, saying the article presented an “honest opinion” and did not cause “serious damage” to his reputation.
Before the case was dropped, a three-day trial was scheduled between May 17 and July 31 this year.
Last month, Prince Harry lost part of the legal battle after his lawyers failed to persuade a judge to reject part of Associated Newspapers' defense.
Mr Justice Nicklin said the newspaper group's argument that the article was an “honest opinion” had a “real prospect” of success.
The prince is still waiting for another judge to rule on his lawsuit against the Home Office that the change to his level of personal protection in the UK was “unlawful and unfair”.
It is one of several legal disputes in which Prince Harry has been involved.
The publisher is facing multiple lawsuits over “gross invasions of privacy” from Sir Elton John, David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, Sir Simon Hughes and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, as well as the prince.
Separately, Harry gave evidence on the witness stand last year in a damages claim against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), publisher of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People, over alleged phone hacking.
The prince is also pursuing legal action against News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun, over alleged unlawful information gathering.