Prince Harry launches lawsuit against The Daily Mail over Royal Marines story

Following in his wife’s footsteps, Prince Harry is taking action against a British newspaper over an unflattering Megxit story.

Prince Harry has launched a new assault in his war on the British media, with another lawsuit against the Daily Mail newspaper group.

The Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan Markle were already involved in five other legal battles with the British press before the latest flare up. Prince Harry was taking action against the Mail On Sunday, the sister paper to the Daily Mail, for a story that claimed he had fallen out of touch with the Royal Marines.

He has used top end of town firm Schillings, who also represented Johnny Depp in his failed lawsuit against The Sun, to file the claim against the Mail on Sunday.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are both taking legal action against the British press. Picture: Simon Dawson/AFP

It is understood the claim relates to a story published by the newspaper in October, which was said to have alleged that Harry had not been in touch with the Marines since quitting as a working royal in March.

Papers setting out the case in London’s High Court were expected to be made public in the coming weeks.

Prince Harry was forced to relinquish his role as Captain General of the Royal Marines as part of Megxit, which was formalised earlier this year.

The move was a significant blow to the veteran of two active tours of Afghanistan.

His affinity with the military was also on show with his launch of the Invictus Games, an Olympics’ style event for wounded soldiers.

Earlier this month he spoke publicly of how he was “born into a life of duty” but that, during his time in the military, he “committed to a life of service”.

Prince Harry was blocked from having a wreath laid at the Cenotaph in London on Remembrance Day in a snub from Buckingham Palace staffers. In response he set up his own ceremony at a military cemetery in Los Angeles, laying a wreath and flowers on graves, including of an Australian, and then publicly released the pictures.

The Marines’ fight comes on top of his wife’s blockbuster case against the Mail On Sunday, the sister paper to the Daily Mail, over a 2018 letter she wrote to her estranged father Thomas, 76.

Prince Harry has been a huge part of Britain’s military community, notably through the Invictus Games. Picture: Tolga Akmen / AFP

She has claimed that the newspaper breached her copyright, however the newspaper argued that the letter was already in the public domain because it had been referred to in a flattering article in People magazine.

The duchess is seeking damages for alleged misuse of private information, copyright infringement and breach of the Data Protection Act.

In October, the full trial over the letter was postponed from January 2021 to next autumn for a confidential reason, after a private hearing.

Harry also has an ongoing legal action. He has brought cases against News Group Newspapers and Mirror Group Newspapers over alleged historical phone hacking.

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Originally published as Prince Harry launches lawsuit against The Daily Mail over Royal Marines story