Royals
Prince Harry Attempted to Quietly Settle Multi-Million-Dollar Lawsuit Ahead of Trial
Prince Harry reportedly wanted to end his lawsuit against Associated Newspapers Limited (ALN) sooner rather than later.
The Spare author, 41, and the other claimants — including Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley and three other individuals — sued ALN in 2022, alleging that its outlets, the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday, published stories from the 1990s to 2011 containing information unlawfully gathered about them, People explained.
People reported on Thursday, July 9, that Harry and the other claimants attempted to settle ahead of the trial, citing a Wednesday, July 8, article published by The Telegraph.
According to People, The Telegraph reported that Harry’s legal team tried to use “intermediaries” including a retired police detective and a former editor of The Independent to create a “backchannel” and “approach Associated Newspapers with a proposed deal.”
The publication claimed settlement offers consisted of “huge amounts of money” and were proposed with “increasing urgency, right up until the 11th hour,” but ALN had “no intention of settling and was determined to clear its name.”
On Tuesday, July 7 — the same day Harry arrived in England for his visit — a judge dismissed the claims, and ALN called the ruling an “overwhelming victory for the Daily Mail and its journalists, and for a free press generally,” per People.
“Associated Newspapers thanks Mr. Justice Nicklin for the patience and wisdom he has displayed throughout this misguided legal action, which has wasted so much valuable court time and more than £50m in legal costs,” the publisher noted.
The Telegraph reported that Harry and other claimants had an “After The Event” insurance policy that would cover $18.9 million of ALN’s legal bills.
