Prince Harry loses final lawsuit against British tabloid press and must pay millions

Emotional appearance in court

It also became emotional on Thursday during his testimony. At the end of his appearance, Harry's voice broke as he said of the press: "They have made my wife's life absolutely hell, Your Honour." The Prince has been waging a long-running battle against the "Tabloid Press," as the British tabloid press is known.

Alongside Harry, other well-known plaintiffs also appeared in the case, including pop star Elton John and actress Sadie Frost. They had all accused the publisher in the BBC interview of using illegal methods to gather information over a period of years. The jury has now rejected this account as untrue.

Co-plaintiffs Elton John and Sadie Frost

The verdict brings a chapter of a years-long legal dispute to a close. Associated Newspapers had not only secured damages, but also demanded a formal correction of the earlier claims. The court upheld both applications.

In the United Kingdom, the case attracted attention well beyond the tabloid press. Observers see the outcome as a turning point in the relationship between the royals and media companies, as Harry is the first high-ranking member of the royal family to have taken such a comprehensive wave of lawsuits against publishers all the way through – and to have now lost them all completely.

Legal experts rate the verdict as having a signalling effect. Anyone who makes serious accusations against a publisher in a BBC interview or another public statement must be able to prove that they are true – otherwise substantial damages claims can be expected. For the British media landscape, the case could recalibrate the rules of engagement when dealing with prominent plaintiffs.

Possible signalling effect for the media industry

Immediately after the verdict was announced, Harry declared his intention to pay the full amount, even though his lawyers had indicated they were examining whether individual items of the damages could be appealed. The Prince did not rule out further proceedings in an appeal court.

With the lawsuit against Associated Newspapers now lost, Harry's legal campaign against the British tabloid press is over for the time being. The Prince had fought for years for a fundamental acknowledgement that publishers had intruded into his private life. Instead, the court has now ruled in favour of the publisher and asked the opposing party to foot the bill.

Observers expect that the financial consequences will hit the Prince noticeably, despite his wealth. The sum awarded is regarded as one of the largest ever imposed in a defamation case between a member of the royal family and a British media company.

Regardless of the defeat, Harry announced that he would continue to campaign for better protection of privacy from the tabloid press in the future. Whether he will now pursue this fight at the political level or through new proceedings, he left open.