Prince Harry Faces New Legal Battle Following Jubilee Appearance With Meghan Markle

Just days after returning to
his home in Montecito, Prince Harry is about to embark on a new legal
battle. Harry jetted to London to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee last
week, jetting into the UK on Wednesday before leaving with his family on Sunday
morning.

But his focus will now be back
in Britain following a new update in his libel claim. A High Court judge has
now begun overseeing a preliminary hearing after the Duke of Sussex made a libel
claim against a newspaper publisher over an article about his legal case
against the Home Office.

A High Court judge is overseeing a preliminary hearing in Harry’s libel claim

Harry is suing Associated
Newspapers Limited (ANL), publisher of the Mail on Sunday, after the paper ran
a story following a hearing in Harry’s separate High Court claim over his
security arrangements when he is in the UK.

The article in question was
published in February under the headline, ‘Exclusive: How Prince Harry tried to
keep his legal fight with the government over police bodyguards a secret … then
– just minutes after the story broke – his PR machine tried to put a positive
spin on the dispute.’

Harry is suing Associated Newspapers Limited over an article on his security arrangements claim

In his written claim filed
with the court, Harry said the piece had allegedly caused him “substantial
hurt, embarrassment and distress which is continuing”.

At a preliminary hearing in
London on Thursday, Mr Justice Nicklin will be asked to determine the
“natural and ordinary” meaning of parts of the article addressed in
the claim. He will also consider whether they are statements of fact or opinion
and whether they are defamatory.

Harry and Meghan flew over to the UK last week for the Queen’s Jubilee

His judgement is expected to
be revealed in writing at a later date.

Barrister Justin Rushbrooke
QC, who is leading Harry’s legal team, told the judge, in a written case
outline, that Harry had brought the claim following a website article and an
article in the Mail on Sunday in February.

He argued both articles were
“defamatory” and meant that Harry had “lied”, had
“improperly and cynically” tried to manipulate public opinion, and
had “tried to keep his legal fight with the Government secret from the
public”.

The couple did keep a relatively low-profile during the celebrations

Mr. Rushbrooke said Associated
Newspapers disputed that the words complained or bore “any meaning
defamatory” of Harry.

Harry is bringing a separate
claim against the Home Office after being told he would no longer be given the
“same degree” of personal protective security when visiting from the
US, despite offering to pay for it himself.

The couple have now returned to their Montecito home

However, Robert Palmer QC, for
the Home Office, previously told the court the Duke’s offer of private funding
was “irrelevant” and that “personal protective security by the
police is not available on a privately financed basis”.