Current:Home > MarketsPrince Harry ordered to pay Daily Mail publisher legal fees for failed court challenge-LoTradeCoin
Prince Harry ordered to pay Daily Mail publisher legal fees for failed court challenge
View Date:2024-12-24 07:19:28
LONDON (AP) — A judge ordered Prince Harry on Monday to pay nearly 50,000 pounds (more than $60,000) in legal fees to the publisher of the Daily Mail tabloid for his failed court challenge in a libel lawsuit.
The Duke of Sussex is suing Associated Newspapers Ltd. over an article that said Harry tried to hide his efforts to retain publicly funded protection in the U.K. after leaving his role as a working member of the royal family.
Justice Matthew Nicklin ruled Friday in the High Court in London that the publisher has a “real prospect” of showing that statements issued on Harry’s behalf were misleading and that the February 2022 article reflected an “honest opinion” and wasn’t libelous.
“The defendant may well submit that this was a masterclass in the art of ‘spinning,’” Nicklin wrote, in refusing to strike the honest opinion defense.
Harry has claimed the article was “fundamentally inaccurate” and the newspaper defamed him when it suggested he lied in his initial public statements over efforts to challenge the government’s decision to strip him of his security detail after he and his family moved to the U.S. in 2020.
Harry, 39, the younger son of King Charles III, also has a lawsuit pending against the government’s decision to protect him on a case-by-case basis when he visits Britain. He claims that hostility toward him and his wife on social media and relentless hounding by the news media threaten their safety.
Nicklin said a libel trial lasting three to four days will be scheduled between May 17 and July 31.
The 48,447 pounds ($60,927) in legal fees Harry was ordered to pay by Dec. 29 is likely to be dwarfed by the amount paid to lawyers in another lawsuit the duke has brought against the publisher.
Associated Newspapers is one of three British tabloid publishers he’s suing over claims they used unlawful means, such as deception, phone hacking or hiring private investigators, to try to dig up dirt on him.
The Mail publisher failed last month in its bid to throw out that lawsuit, though it prevailed in getting some evidence barred from trial. Nicklin — who is also hearing that case — is considering what to award in lawyer’s costs for each party’s respective wins.
Harry and co-claimants that include Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley said they spent 1.7 million ($2.1 million) to prepare for and argue their case at a hearing over several days in March. The publisher, meanwhile, is seeking up to 755,000 pounds ($949,000).
___
Follow the AP’s coverage of Prince Harry at https://apnews.com/hub/prince-harry
veryGood! (14813)
Related
- Kirk Herbstreit berates LSU fans throwing trash vs Alabama: 'Enough is enough, clowns'
- How new 'Speak No Evil' switches up Danish original's bleak ending (spoilers!)
- Falcons host the football team from Apalachee High School, where a shooter killed four
- 2024 Emmys: Baby Reindeer's Nava Mau Details Need for Transgender Representation in Tearful Interview
- Brianna LaPaglia Reacts to Rumors Dave Portnoy Paid Her $10 Million for a Zach Bryan Tell-All
- Man convicted of trying to arrange the murder of a federal prosecutor
- Alabama freshman receiver Ryan Williams helps Crimson Tide roll past Wisconsin
- CMA Awards snub Beyoncé, proving Black women are still unwelcome in country music
- Report: Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence could miss rest of season with shoulder injury
- Chappell Roan wants privacy amid newfound fame, 'predatory' fan behavior. Here's why.
Ranking
- Ben Foster Files for Divorce From Laura Prepon After 6 Years of Marriage
- In Honduras, Libertarians and Legal Claims Threaten to Bankrupt a Nation
- CMA Awards snub Beyoncé, proving Black women are still unwelcome in country music
- 'Miss our families': Astronauts left behind by Starliner share updates from the ISS
- Golden Bachelorette: Joan Vassos Gets Engaged During Season Finale
- ‘The Life of Chuck’ wins the Toronto Film Festival’s People’s Choice Award
- Donald Trump Declares I Hate Taylor Swift After She Endorses Kamala Harris
- Alabama freshman receiver Ryan Williams helps Crimson Tide roll past Wisconsin
Recommendation
-
Engines on 1.4 million Honda vehicles might fail, so US regulators open an investigation
-
Mike Tyson says he's training hard for Jake Paul fight: 'It's hard to walk right now'
-
Authorities arrest a relative of the King of Jordan and 3 others for $1M insider-trading plot
-
Cooper Kupp injury updates: Rams WR exits game vs. Cardinals with ankle injury
-
Get $103 Worth of Tatcha Skincare for $43.98 + 70% Off Flash Deals on Elemis, Josie Maran & More
-
'The Life of Chuck' wins Toronto Film Festival audience award. Is Oscar next?
-
Weekend progress made against Southern California wildfires
-
‘The Life of Chuck’ wins the Toronto Film Festival’s People’s Choice Award