Prince Harry Cites ‘hurt, embarrassment and distress’ in lawsuit against the Mail on Sunday

Details of Prince Harry’s latest legal battle have been revealed with the Duke of Sussex claiming his reputation has been “seriously damaged.”

Prince Harry has claimed that a series of articles published in the British newspaper tabloid TheMail on Sunday caused “serious damage to his reputation and substantial hurt, embarrassment and distress which is continuing,” according to a new report in Variety.

Harry’s wife Meghan Markle previously won her privacy and copyright cases against the publisher after TheMail on Sunday published a 2018 letter she sent to her father.

The Duke of Sussex launched the lawsuit earlier this year after The Mail on Sunday reported on another lawsuit involving the British government’s withdrawal of Harry’s security detail for himself, his wife Meghan and their children Archie and Lilibet.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry (R) and his wife, Meghan Markle embrace at The Invictus Games in The Hague. Picture: AFP / Netherlands OUT

The Sussexes have said they would be willing to pay for the security themselves, and cite security fears as a reason for them not returning to the UK with the children for a family visit.

In court documents sighted by Variety, Prince Harry’s latest lawsuit targets two Mail on Sunday articles about his case against the Home Office, the articles suggesting Harry was lying about his offer to pay for his security staff.

The lawsuit states the articles “manipulate and confuse public opinion” about the prince by referring to his use of “spin doctors” that were authorised by him to “put out false and misleading statements about his willingness to pay for police protection”.

Prince Harry has another lawsuit against the publisher of The Mail On Sunday. Picture: AFP

The implications made by the articles “are self-evidently exceptionally serious and damaging” because they “constitute an attack on his honesty and integrity and undermine his fitness to be involved both in charitable and philanthropic work in general, and in efforts to tackle online misinformation in particular (through the Archewell Foundation).”

Harry is asking the court to award him aggravated damages for libel, an injunction to prevent them from republishing the stories or from publishing similar stories in the future, and an order that the Mail on Sunday publishes the court’s verdict and judgment.

Harry and Meghan have been involved in several media lawsuits including one involving Archie as a joint claimant with his mother in a suit filed over the use of a photo.

Prince Harry celebrates with Team Netherlands after they won the Silver Medal at the Wheelchair Basketball Finals during day seven of the Invictus Games. Picture: Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation

It comes as Prince Harry wrapped up the final day in the Netherlands overseeing the Invictus Games, a Paralympic-style athletics event for armed services personnel.

Harry appeared on American breakfast TV, in a segment billed as “Prince Harry: one-on-one” during which he claimed to have a “very special” relationship with the Queen.

“Being with her, it was great,” he told NBC. “It was just so nice to see her, she’s on great form. She has always got a great sense of humour with me and I’m just making sure that she’s protected and got the right people around her.”

Some commentators have alleged the comment about ‘protecting’ the Queen with ‘the right people’ could have been a dig at Prince Charles and Prince William.

Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. Prince Harry said he had a special relationship with his grandmother. Picture: Getty Images

The Times notes Harry dodged a question about whether he missed either his brother or his father.

Harry also seemed jaded with the Queen’s 96th birthday, telling NBC that “at some point people get bored of birthdays. She’s had a few Jubilees now. I’m sure she’s looking forward to it.”

Asked if he would be at the celebrations in June, he was vague, referencing the “security issues” that have led to him suing the Home Office over the level of protection that might be offered to him in the UK.

After his explosive sit down with journalist Hoda Kotb, Harry’s statements were widely criticised, according to The Sun, with the Duke blasted as “arrogant” and his claims a “gross insult to all the royal family, the royal doctors and all the aides around Her Majesty”.