The younger son of King Charles III (77) is appalled by a court decision. Prince Harry (41) writes in a joint statement with co-claimant Baroness Doreen Lawrence (73) that they went to court "to seek justice and accountability. But we have received neither." Previously, the prince, who is currently in London, had declined to answer questions about the decision during an event.
In the statement written in English, which is available to the British "Independent" and the broadcaster BBC, among others, the two now choose partly harsh words. It is a veritable cover-up, which unfortunately does not come entirely unexpectedly: "The lengths the court has gone to, however, to exonerate the 'Mail' is as shocking as it is completely unjustified." When the court declares that there is insufficient evidence of wrongdoing, "despite the documents proving otherwise, one wonders how justice is supposed to be served at all", the statement continues, among other things.
While the claimants' side had presented sufficient evidence according to the two, journalists from the "Daily Mail" who testified in the trial limited themselves to mere denials. The court "uncritically believed them, even in the face of inconsistencies, contradictions, and obvious untruths that were clearly apparent to neutral observers in the courtroom when cross-referenced with the documents".
It is also claimed that the presiding judge's decision contrasts with the rulings of his colleagues, who decided completely differently in similar cases against News Group Newspapers and Mirror Group Newspapers. They were allegedly represented at the time by the man who has now made this decision. There is currently no statement on this allegation. The "Daily Mail" celebrated the victory in court on its website in the meantime.
Alleged spying by journalists
Prince Harry and six co-claimants, including pop icon Elton John (79), his husband David Furnish (63), and actress Liz Hurley (61), had accused the publisher of the "Daily Mail", the "Mail on Sunday", and their online presence of allegedly using unlawful methods to obtain and publish private information. Private investigators are said to have been deployed and phones are said to have been tapped. The allegations were rejected by the defendant's side.
The court was to prove that information contained in articles was obtained illegally. After a trial lasting several weeks between January and March 2026, the verdict was published on July 7. Prince Harry and the co-claimants had not succeeded in proving beyond doubt the use of unlawful methods, and therefore all claims were dismissed, it was stated.
According to a report by the British "Guardian", the prince and the other claimants could now face having to pay legal costs of up to 50 million pounds. Converted, this would currently amount to just over 58.5 million euros. Associated Newspapers Limited speaks of legal costs of more than 50 million pounds and announces that it wants to clarify outstanding issues, "including the reimbursement of costs". There are no more detailed details on this yet.
Prince Harry had previously also taken legal action against other parts of the British tabloid media over allegedly illegal research methods. In the legal dispute against Mirror Group Newspapers, he had won and later settled the remaining parts of the lawsuit in an agreement. He had also reached a settlement with the publisher of "The Sun", News Group Newspapers, in 2025.
