Prince HarryHe is not new to the courtroom. Numerous outstanding lawsuits are pending against the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. While the Platinum Jubilee was a pleasant distraction, he’s now preparing for another libel case against a prominent UK publisher. Here’s what’s going on.
A Case On A Case
The Mail on SundayHe has become an enemy to Harry and Meghan Markle. The British tabloid has already been brought to court once before for publishing Markle’s letters. It lost that case, but that didn’t stop it from publishing stories about the pair.
In February of this year, Mail on Sunday Published a storyThe headline is: “Exclusive: How Prince Harry tried to keep his legal fight with the government over police bodyguards a secret … then – just minutes after the story broke – his PR machine tried to put a positive spin on the dispute.” The story was about Harry’s secret dealings with the government to try and gain police protection for his family on subsequent visits.
Light Transforms Darkness into Light
Per Harry’s lawyers, the story caused “substantial hurt, embarrassment and distress which is continuing.”This made an issue Harry tried to keep private a public spectacle. Harry sued the paper for libel. It’s up to the judge to decide whether the statements in the article were true and if they’re defamatory.
Related: Judge Demands Apology From Prince Harry’s Lawyer Over Leak
Naturally, Harry’s legal team frames the story. “defamatory.”It says that he “tried to keep his legal fight with the Government secret from the public,”The article “improperly and cynically”They tried to manipulate the public. It’ll be up to Associated Newspapers Limited, the publisher of the Mail on SundayTo prove otherwise. In the next few months, a written ruling will be issued.
Prince Harry, Will This Never End?
There’s an element of Kafkaesque horror to this situation. Harry’s lawsuits breed lawsuits. His bringing the Mail on Sunday to court again proves a few things: Harry isn’t afraid to get litigious, and he’s paying attention to the United Kingdom’s opinion of him.
Harry must have satisfied his police protection concern. The whole family attended Queen Elizabeth’s platinum jubilee, where Lilibet Diana could finally meet her namesake. The couple was booed by crowds at one point, which could actually lend credence to Harry’s lawsuit.
One has to think Harry could mend his relationship with the British public simply by doing what he’s doing. According to reports, he and Prince William are trying to defrost their tension and the platinum anniversary was a good step in that direction. That being said, we wouldn’t hold our breath on Harry reconciling with the tabloid press.