A victory for free press, or a whitewashing?
We have been reporting here on how Prince Harry’s UK trip ended up mired in controversy and logistical chaos.
He was just told by Buckingham Palace that he would not be able to stay there anymore for confirming his presence too late.
And in his first public engagement, Harry was dealt a big setback, as the Duke of Sussex lost his years-long, £50 million privacy lawsuit against Associated Newspapers Limited, the publisher of the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday.
Prince Harry’s final lawsuit aimed at taming the British tabloids ended in defeat as a judge found he failed to prove his privacy invasion claims against the publisher of the Daily Mail. The verdict coincided with Harry’s visit home to the U.K. https://t.co/4NhKMoyF4B
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 7, 2026
Fox News reported:
“Harry and six other claimants, including Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley, lost their privacy case against the publisher. The U.K.’s High Court dismissed their claims after finding the claimants had failed to prove their allegations of unlawful information gathering.”
Associated Newspapers welcomed today’s judgment and called it ‘an overwhelming victory for the Daily Mail and its journalists, and for a free press generally’.
“‘This is a magnificent vindication of the Daily Mail’s journalism. For some of the most outrageous allegations made when the case was launched in a blaze of publicity four years ago — placing bugs in people’s cars and homes, listening to calls as they were made and illicitly accessing bank accounts — no credible evidence was ever presented’, the statement read.”
Hooray. Prince Harry left with £20-30million legal bill as High Court throws out his claim that the Daily Mail unlawfully sourced stories about him. Great day for journalism, shocking day for a self-involved homeless twerp.
— Kelvin MacKenzie (@kelvmackenzie) July 7, 2026
The Guardian reported:
“Prince Harry and six other prominent figures are facing a legal bill of up to £50m after losing their case against the publisher of the Daily Mail over claims it used unlawful methods to source stories.
In an emphatic ruling that is likely to signal an end to new litigation relating to the phone-hacking scandal era, the high court dismissed all the group’s claims, stating that the claimants had not proved that any information had been obtained unlawfully.
The 436-page written verdict from Mr. Justice Nicklin said the court could not simply infer that a story had been obtained unlawfully if there remained a legitimate and realistic legal way in which it could have been sourced.
Nicklin also dismissed suggestions that senior figures at the Mail, including its former editor Paul Dacre, had lied to the 2011-12 Leveson inquiry into press ethics, where Dacre said no hacking took place at the paper.”
BREAKING: Statement from Prince Harry and Baroness Doreen Lawrence.
“We came to Court seeking justice and accountability. But we have received neither. This judgment represents a complete reversal of the position which previous Judges have taken in relation to the hacking claims…— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) July 7, 2026
Harry attacked the judge and accused him of a “whitewash”.
The Telegraph reported:
“Mr. Justice Nicklin dismissed all claims made by the Duke of Sussex, Baroness Lawrence and five other celebrity claimants, including Sir Elton John and Sadie Frost.
In a joint statement, the Duke and Baroness Lawrence said: ‘It is a complete and obvious whitewash, but sadly not altogether unexpected. However, the lengths to which the court has gone to exonerate the Mail is as shocking as it is totally unwarranted’.
The judge said the claimants had often relied on “inference” to prove claims journalists hacked phones and blagged private medical records, adding that ‘suspicion, even where understandable, was not enough’.”
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The post Prince Harry Loses Years-Long Privacy Lawsuit Against Daily Mail Publisher, as Controversial UK Trip Is Off to a Bad Start appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.