The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have good lawyers. They trust their lawyers. Meghan gave a lot of credit to her London lawyer Jenny Afia in her lawsuit against the Mail. The royal family continues to be salty as hell over the fact that Meghan and Harry both eschewed the Windsors’ go-to lawyers and went out and found competent professionals who don’t mind butting heads within the Establishment. I’m sure Meghan and Harry have a lot of good lawyers in California too, but at the moment, Harry is relying heavily on his UK lawyers. He has the Judicial Review to pay for his own police security. He has his on-going class-action legal action against several British media outlets who hacked his phone years ago. And now Harry has filed a lawsuit against the Mail.
The Duke of Sussex has launched a High Court libel action against the publisher of the Daily Mail. Court filings show Harry filed a claim against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) on Wednesday afternoon.
It is not known which of the publishers’ titles, which also includes The Mail On Sunday and MailOnline, the claim relates to, and there is no indication which article is complained of.
The duke is currently bringing privacy claims against News Group Newspapers, which publishes The Sun, and Mirror Group Newspapers, now Reach, which publishes The Mirror, over alleged phone hacking and unlawful information gathering. Harry, 37, is also involved in litigation against the Home Office over his security arrangements when he is in the UK.
A spokesperson for the duke said: “I can confirm the duke has filed a complaint against Associated Newspapers Limited.”
People Magazine didn’t have anything else to add, but Omid Scobie noted that we’ll likely hear more in coming weeks as the lawsuit becomes public domain (I would assume that would mean the American equivalent of public record). Scobie also points out that this could be connected to several “exclusive” stories the Mail has run about Harry’s Judicial Review and his fight to have police security (and pay for it himself). Harry also settled a defamation suit with ANI/The Mail about 13 months ago after the Mail completely misrepresented his work with the British military.
Note: I wrote all of the above last night before we knew which Mail story Harry was suing over. I actually looked through the Mail’s stories under the “Prince Harry” banner and I thought the most likely article was this Mail exclusive (published over the weekend) which I linked to a few days ago but didn’t excerpt anything from. The Mail had a heinous spin on Harry’s security fight in the High Court, and they also blamed him for issuing a statement about it after the palace leaked it right after Prince Andrew lost his bid to dismiss Virginia Giuffre’s case. As it turns out, those stories about Harry’s security fight are exactly the ones he is suing over.
𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: Harry’s court filing details action against the Mail on Sunday (who are currently paying out substantial damages to Meghan) over a “defamatory” report claiming he lied about offering to pay for police protection in June and tried to hide his Home Office litigation. pic.twitter.com/yGtbAsk2Wj
— Omid Scobie (@scobie) February 24, 2022
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid and WENN.
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- 03-09-2019 Amsterdam Prince Harry during the start of the new partnership between Booking.com, Ctrip, TripAdvisor and Visa for helping to protect the tourist destinations and travel industry, Eco travel travalyst at the A’dam Tower. .
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- Sidney, CANADA – Prince Harry spotted for the first time as he arrives in Victoria, BC to meet up with his wife Meghan Markle. Pictured: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex BACKGRID USA 20 JANUARY 2020 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- New York, NY – Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at a Harlem elementary school during their official visit to the Big Apple. Pictured: Prince Harry BACKGRID USA 24 SEPTEMBER 2021 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- New York, NY – Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at a Harlem elementary school during their official visit to the Big Apple. Pictured: Prince Harry BACKGRID USA 24 SEPTEMBER 2021 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- The Duchess of Cambridge, accompanied by the Duke of Sussex, attends the Anzac Day Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey Featuring: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex Where: London, United Kingdom When: 25 Apr 2019 Credit: John Rainford/WENN
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- The Duke of Sussex in front of the Diana Tree in Huambo, Angola, on day five of the royal tour of Africa. The Duke is visiting the minefield where his late mother, the Princess of Wales, was photographed in 1997, which is now a busy street with schools, shops and houses. Featuring: Duke of Sussex Where: Huambo, Angola When: 27 Sep 2019 Credit: WENN/Avalon **WENN/Avalon**
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- YOKOHAMA, JAPAN – NOVEMBER 02: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex arrives at the stadium prior to the Rugby World Cup 2019 Final between England and South Africa at International Stadium Yokohama on November 02, 2019 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. Where: Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan When: 02 Nov 2019 Credit: WENN/Avalon **WENN/Avalon**
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- Britain’s Prince Harry leaves The Silverstone Experience at Silverstone circuit in Towcester, Britain March 6, 2020. Where: TOWCESTER, United Kingdom When: 06 Mar 2020 Credit: WENN/Avalon **WENN/Avalon**
Good! I hope he and Meghan bankrupt the Fail. And I hope the discovery (or whatever it’s called in the UK) shows who in the royal family leaked Harry’s business. Again. It has to be Chuck. Imagine how betrayed Harry must feel with that “family” really doing the most to get the Sussexes killed and then smearing Harry when he tries to take care of his family. They’re vile.
@SussexWatcher … “It has to be Chuck.”
Why not William? Just curious.
Why not Andrew? The timing benefited him.
That’s exactly the story I expected he would sue on. I saw the headline and *without reading it I knew they likely just got caught in a lie. Get paid Harry!
*I see the headlines around but don’t click on anything from the Daily Mail. I’m not their target audience…you know: racist, xenophobic, homophobic, transphobic misogynists with the reading level of a four year old.
Yet his own trash father wrote for that same paper claiming he trusts that trashy tabloid….the worst is some over there who continue to claim no one reads those trashy papers, yet consume and believe everything written in them….
Racism is one hell of a drug
These fools have learnt absolutely nothing. F around and find out don’t mean nothing to them.
Good for Harry. The way they spinned this story to try and make it controversial was ridiculous. All other news outlets reported it accurately. But then again it’s the fail. I don’t expect any good stories about Kamala H or Joe from Fox News….I shouldn’t expect any good stories about H&M from the Fail.
I think they’ll probably settle with him like they did last time.
But I’m hoping they don’t so that we can find out who leaked this story from the palace. Also we’ll maybe get text/emails from the summit showing how cruel Charles and William were to Harry.
I love how his motto seems to be “do no harm but take no sh-t.”
Go get ’em, Harry.
That’s a great way to put it.
Haha. Love this @twoz. Think I may adopt as my own personal motto!
@twoz, this should be stamped on the front and back of a t-shirt.
@twoz … LOL! Love this! And that fits Harry to a ‘T.’ 🙂
I understand they want to defend themselves, but a majority of the DM readers are brainwashed by now. H & M should just trust that those with half a brain can see through the BM media and its trolls. Otherwise this will get expensive and exhausting for them.
Exhausting and expensive for who? Harry and Meghan have lots of money and they’ve won every case. They seem to have a good team and they’ve only sued on serious issues. They havent even touched the likes of Angela levin or trolls who make up lies about them. I don’t expect them to sue those people though.
It’s good that he has the truth on record otherwise they can twist the truth years down the line like they’ve tried with Diana.
@Noki: After what the press did to Meghan, I can’t see why anyone would be opposed to this action. Why should the DM get away with libeling and defaming people? If Harry and Meghan want to sue the press, let them. The British press have ruined a lot of lives and Harry and Meghan have decided that they’re not going let them ruin theirs and after years of enforced silence they refuse to do so anymore. Good for them, I say.
Indeed, the intention is that it will get expensive and exhausting for the Fail. or at least…..I hope that’s what you implied.
They’ve won every case so far so I don’t think the expense is an issue (since that gets paid by the other party). Their legal representation is letting them know when a law has been broken and they have a good case.
I believe they should keep going until papers stop printing lies about them. If they have the means to do so, why should they just put up with these attacks? Hopefully at some point papers will feel like the risk of being sued is greater than the desire to print lies and they’ll stop. We’ve already seen one paparazzi company go bankrupt.
The lies get spun and re-spun on past the DM onto SM and other outlets. I think the opposite. They should sue more and others who have been lied about should bring more lawsuits. These outlets have actually driven people to suicide. Why should they be allowed to get away with lies and harrassment?
It’s not about the readers or PR/images.
It’s about forcing consequences for the media outlets who are making bank off their destructive lies. Basically making peddling made-up stories about the Sussexes very costly in money and resources. It’s like malpractice lawsuits (or the intent of them) in the US. Saying “don’t do that: it’s wrong and causes harm” is not enough for some people/ corporations. Hitting them hard in their bank accounts/ balance sheets can do more to discourage illegal / destructive practices than any finger wagging or complain or stiff upper lip approach.
Well, since they keep winning, not only is it not expensive for them, it’s profitable. And they don’t sue Willy nilly. They are strategic about it. They sue when they want to protect their reputations in business, charities, military and when it comes to their safety and security. They ignore the petty gossip stuff.
They should sue Willy Nilly and his wife, though, lol! 😉
This vicious campaign of disinformation hurts their brand, careers and impacts their security. The BRF has sued before and issued statements, so why can’t Harry and Meghan do the same instead of playing a sick game of invisible contracts, allying with Tories and throwing spares under the bus? The BM and British establishment should grow up. It’s not petty gossip stuff of what Meghan is wearing and what gym Harry goes to. It’s dangerous.
Prince Harry is not suing the DM for praise from DM readers or anyone else. He is following his principles as it relates to the DM purposely writing and spinning false information.
Totally agree.
It’s not expensive when they win and the Daily Fail pays their legal fees, again.
Since he said this was discussed at Sandringham, potential witnesses would include courtiers present, the Queen, PC and PW. I bet this one gets settled. It would be funny if he already has a signed statement from TQ saying it was discussed.
I think most people figured it was the MoS story from over the weekend. The reporter can’t criticise him for wanting taxpayer funded security as she wanted to so she’s angry that he refused to give her a comment. Then she tried to spin it like he’s briefing favoured journalists when he’s just sticking to his stated position that he won’t engage with the 4 tabloids and he’s free to issue a statement whenever he wants. I also suspect another reason for the lawsuit is find out who leaked the story.
Good for him. The DM et al think they can keep making up stories about Harry or using whatever spin they want to make him look as bad as possible, and he and Meghan are letting them know that’s not going to be how this works, especially when it comes to something like their family’s security.
If BTS management can pursue legal action against libel and trolls, Prince Harry can sue all he wants over fake news. These rats are dangerous and deserve a good bankruptcy for peddling lies and nonsense that threaten his family’s lives.
Go Harry Go! Put their feet to the fire!
I rarely get a chance to comment anymore because I work a PCI compliant job and can’t have my phone on me but I took a sick day so here we are.
I am so pumped over the legal team they’ve assembled. They really seem to be working well together, and I hope this lawsuit works out for them.
Hi Erinn! I’ve been wondering where you went! Glad you’re ok and still around 🙂
Hi Erinn!!! It’s great to see you are well and still around! Get well and I will be thinking of you!
My goodness, some people just never learn.
It seems as if the entirety of the British media has but one playbook between the lot of them, doesn’t it? They have no idea how to improvise and improve. Everyone here has been screaming it at them from the comments for years, but they’re so resistant to change they just keep making the same mistakes, again and again.
It’s reached the point that it’s so pathetic it’s sad. If they weren’t such contemptible asses, I’d feel bad for them.
The rota are on a campaign to spin Harry as a liar so that they can throw shade at his memoir when it comes out. You can’t believe anything this liar says! They’ve been doing that to Meghan for the past year to discredit the Oprah interview and then her court victory. I feel great joy every time I hear that Harry filed suit against one of these slimey tabs. Now they have to expend resources to deal with it.
These kinds of lies have an effect over time as we saw what happened to Hillary after years of the right wing media attacking her. It created an environment where a false equivalency was made and she was seen as just as bad as an idiot crook who is a traitor to the US.
Harry can’t just sit back and the let the UK media continue to call him a liar because it already has infiltrated a bit beyond the FM readers. It’s why they were able to make a big deal about Knauf and his texts when they were irrelevant in the legal case and in fact only buttressed the argument for privacy.
Excellent point on Hillary @Nic919. To this day, when I asked Hillary haters on all political spectrum why they hate her, their reasons tend to be lack luster/conspiratorial.
And with this, the BRF has their answer. Nope, neither Harry (nor the Sussexes) will be traveling to the UK anytime soon. H’s crack legal team is closing in on the royal leaker(s). He knows the needle points to his immediate family who cooperate and collaborate openly with the Fail. I hope H&M drag Rothermere’s rag straight into bankruptcy.
From your mouth to the powers to be! Nothing would bring me such pleasure than their fall into nothingness!!
Honestly, once Liz is dead, I think the RF is in serious danger of Harry telling everything and burning that institution to the ground. It is clear that the monarchy wants to destroy H&M financially and personally by destroying their reputation and making them so hounded that neither charities, nor businesses, will associate themselves with this couple. By refusing them security they have put Harry on notice that his safety means nothing to them. Sooner or later, Harry will be forced to take this to the next level. There is no way this media vendetta against a blood prince would be where it is today without being sanctioned by the family.
The Sussex’s have the freedom and means to take legal action on each and every libelous article. I hope the take the winnings from each lawsuit and put it right back in a legal fund to fight the next BS story.
Amen!
Curious. When you click on PH at the top of the UK menu on Daily Fail or The Sun, there is literally no mention of this lawsuit. Plenty of info about them renewing the lease at Frogmore. Hmmmm.
Lol, I guess the Mail likes paying Sussex attorney fees.
I picture the lawyers for the Mail and the Sussexes meeting once again like the looney tunes cartoon with the sheepdog and the wolf clocking in. “Morning, Sam” “Morning, Ralph.”
LOL! That is a perfect analogy.
Haha! That is one of my favorite cartoons.
Haha! Love that visual!
Love it. Wonder if they’ll eventually learn? You’d think, but if not, the sussexes and their bad*ss lawyers will hold them to account.
Tin foil theory: Harry is suing over this story to help his judicial review. Letting it be known that he always intended to pay so that the review cannot hold anything against him.
Do we think this lawsuit will result in a freeze on stories from the British tabloids about Harry’s security situation? That alone would be a good thing. And if the DM ends up unintentionally paying for Harry’s security costs through his winnings? Even better.
That’s actually a really good point. Something this sensitive should never have been leaked to a tabloid, especially the Fail, who has a vendetta against the Sussexes. They constantly push and lie and don’t seem deterred by the last two lawsuits they lost. The Sussexes have been very quiet so far this year but the UK press is still going after them. I wish they could just go about their lives without the constant distraction of the tabloids hounding them and digging through every bit of news but I think they’re trying to wear the Sussexes down. I hope this matter is resolved safely but the royals are determined to make an example of Harry in the worst possible way. I hope he wins or they settle with a big retraction.
As Omid pointed out there were a series of stories that were blatantly false. “Harry demands UK taxpayers pay for security”; “Harry suing her majesty’s government”; “Harry didn’t offer to pay”. Then the last article which misrepresented the confidentiality request as an attempt to deceive the public. I hope he presents all of the articles.
These people won’t stop f around with Harry and Meghan, so they will keep on having their asses handed to them in court via lawsuits
Good. He’s made it clear that some things he won’t mess around with it and his family’s security is one of them.
I hope he’ll keep giving them hell.
I wouldn’t line my bird cage with either of these 2 papers. Their original report was complete cobblers and then they doubled down on it on Sunday, absolute madness! I don’t understand why Harry and family security should be conditional subject to whether its official RF business or not? Surely if one is a target it doesn’t matter where you go, there is still the same risk? Why are we the tax payer still paying for pizza boy after 2_years of him being on castle gardening leave?!
I love it! Get ’em Harry! These idiots refuse to learn! The BM constantly complains that the Sussexes are quick to sue then they publish blatant lies about them and have the nerve to complain when the Sussexes file lawsuits. I hope the Sussexes keep holding their feet to the fire. They are smartly selectivr in which lawsuits to file and have won those lawsuits. These details should never have been put in the public domain. The RF should be worrying more about Harry. If i was Harry, every time the RF pulled some bs, i would be on the phone to my editor adding more content to a chapter called “They keep f’ing with me” but I’m petty and he’s obviously not!
I’m not sure how defamation cases against journalists works in the UK but in the US a You Tuber got her *ss handed to her by Cardi B and has been ordered to pay Cardi almost $4 million. Can UK journalists be personally sued for defamation? I also wonder if Meghan name checking Rothemere after she won her lawsuit was a warning shot. Can he personally be sued over the actions of his papers? Especially after losing previous lawsuits. I will be following this case closely because it could be precedent setting.
@sherry – So, they should just lie back and think of England? F no. They are constantly maligned in the press, especially by Rothmere’s jackals. They actually let plenty roll of their backs – but being called a liar (when he’s not lying), or attacking their charities is going to get a legal challenge. As it should. And the more they sue (and win every time btw) the more money they make for charities.
Why in the world would anyone want them to remain silent victims? They are trying to build something positive and the UK media (and his wretched family) is trying to stop them. Screw that.
I like Harry’s determination and backbone-If they are going to print stories calling him a liar-Harry has receipts proving who the real liars are. A little advice for the daily fail-double check your sources before bumping your gums to the world about untrue stories with no truth to them. These shitstains tabloids need to be flushed in the toilet.
Shouldn’t there be a “habitual offender” penalty – comprising of a seriously large payment?
Otherwise, what is the point of this company consistently losing court cases? Judgements are supposed to be penalties, but ALSO deterrences.