Following a multi-week trial between January and March 2026, a British court has announced its verdict in the case brought by Prince Harry (41) and six other plaintiffs against the publisher of the Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday, and their online portal. The decision, published on July 7, 2026, states that the plaintiffs failed to prove the allegations made. Therefore, all claims against Associated Newspapers Limited have been dismissed.
The plaintiffs included, in addition to the Duke of Sussex, actress Liz Hurley (61), music megastar Elton John (79), and his husband David Furnish (63), among others. The proceedings primarily concerned alleged invasions of privacy and the allegedly unlawful obtaining of private information. This allegedly involved the use of private investigators and phone tapping, among other methods. The information obtained in this way was then allegedly used for articles in the newspapers and on the online portal.
Prince Harry Unable to Provide Clear Evidence
The court had to determine whether the plaintiffs could prove that specific articles or incidents were the result of unlawful information gathering. The judgment states that journalists testified in court and provided lawful explanations for information cited in the disputed articles. The plaintiffs therefore failed to prove beyond doubt that illegal methods were employed. All claims were dismissed.
According to the BBC, the presiding judge acknowledged that in many cases of potential privacy invasions, there were indeed doubts about how the respective journalists obtained certain information. In a case from 2013 involving Prince Harry, the judge stated: "I recognize that he found the article intrusive and was seriously concerned about how journalists apparently knew about private information regarding his relationships. But suspicion - even understandable suspicion - is not proof." Additionally, some of the points raised related to events that occurred 20 or 30 years ago and were therefore brought too late.
Meanwhile, Associated Newspapers is celebrating the victory on the Daily Mail homepage, among other places. In a statement by a spokesperson, it says: "Associated Newspapers welcomes today's judgment, which represents an overwhelming victory for the Daily Mail and its journalists, as well as for press freedom in general." Prince Harry has not yet commented on the matter.
