- The Duke of Sussex filed a lawsuit against the publisher in February.
- A temporary halt in his libel claim has been reached between Prince Harry and Associated Newspapers.
- Harry claims that a “nasty” piece about his ongoing legal battle with the Home Office was defamatory.
A temporary halt in his libel claim has been reached between Prince Harry and Associated Newspapers, one of the largest media publishers in Britain, according to testimony presented at London’s High Court on Tuesday.
The Duke of Sussex filed a lawsuit against the publisher in February in response to a Mail on Sunday piece that claimed he had attempted to conceal information about his legal battle with the British interior ministry to have his police protection restored.
Harry, the son of King Charles who, along with his wife Meghan, retired from royal duties two years ago, claims that a “unremittingly nasty” piece about his on-going lawsuit against the Home Office was published in the Mail on Sunday. In July, the High Court declared it to be defamatory.
Associated Newspapers, on the other hand, is defending the libel complaint and claims that the story contains “an expression of opinion” regarding Harry’s public declarations on his legal issue regarding police protection.
Harry’s attorney Jane Phillips stated at the preliminary hearing on Tuesday that the parties had agreed to postpone the case until mid-January in order to attempt to reach a settlement, “if that is indeed possible.”
Harry allegedly offered to pay for or contribute to police security during a meeting at the royal Sandringham estate in January 2020, according to a request for more information from Associated Newspapers.
Judge Barbara Fontaine ruled that Harry’s lawyers should provide “clarification” about the offer he says he made, which she added would “assist the parties … in the attempts about [a] settlement, which I hope are successful”.
The meeting on Tuesday was held only a few days before a highly anticipated Netflix documentary about Harry and Meghan was set to premiere. (Reuters)
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