Prince Harry issues High Court libel action against publisher of Daily Mail

Prince Harry has filed a libel lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail, the latest in a string of legal action he’s launched at the press.

Prince Harry has filed a lawsuit in the British High Court against the publisher of the Daily Mail.

The Duke of Sussex, 37, launched a complaint against Associated Newspapers Limited – which publishes the Daily Mail and MailOnline – on Wednesday afternoon, local time.

It’s currently unclear which story Harry has taken issue with.

It’s the latest in a string of lawsuits brought by Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, since they stepped down as senior royals and moved to the US in early 2020.

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Prince Harry has filed a lawsuit against Associated Newspapers Limited. Picture: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum

In December, Meghan, 40, won a court appeal with the Mail on Sunday for the publication of a private letter she sent to her father, Thomas Markle, in 2018.

The Duchess, who was awarded a symbolic £1 ($A1.88) in damages, said in a statement at the time that the win was “precedent-setting” and an important measure of “right versus wrong”.

“This is a victory, not just for me but for anyone else who has ever felt scared to stand up for what’s right,” she said. “What matters most is that we are now collectively brave enough to reshape a tabloid industry that conditions people to be cruel and profits from the lies and pain that they create.”

Back in 2019, Harry filed a legal claim against News UK (owner of The Sun) and MGN (former owner of The Mirror) alleging illegal interception of his phone, and in 2020, Harry and Meghan filed a lawsuit in a Los Angeles court against unnamed photographers after photos were taken of their then 14-month-old son Archie playing in the backyard of a home they were living in when they first moved to California.

Meghan and Harry have filed a string of lawsuits since stepping down as senior royals. Picture: Gotham/GC Images

“Every individual and family member in California is guaranteed by law the right to privacy in their home. No drones, helicopters or telephoto lenses can take away that right,” the couple’s lawyer, Michael Kump of Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldisert LLP, said in a statement at the time.

“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are filing this lawsuit to protect their young son’s right to privacy in their home without intrusion by photographers, and to uncover and stop those who seek to profit from these illegal actions.”

Harry’s most recent court battle kicked off last week, after he launched legal action against the UK government over the decision to take away his tax-funded police bodyguards – claiming it’s unsafe for his family to return to the UK without them.

The Sussexes, who say their personally funded security team aren’t equipped with the required intelligence in Britain, were stripped of their around-the-clock protection when they stepped back from royal duties two years ago.

Via his lawyer, it was revealed Harry wants to bring his son Archie and baby daughter Lilibet to visit the UK but they feel “unsafe” to do so.