LONDON — Prince Harry is suing Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL), publisher of British newspaper the Mail on Sunday, for libel, according to British media reports.
Lawyers of the Duke of Sussex from legal firm Schillings filed the lawsuit on Nov. 27 over a story published in October by the newspaper claiming Harry had lost contact with the Royal Marines since he formally stepped back from royal duties in March, media reports said Monday.Details on the cases are expected to become public in upcoming weeks, reports said. Meanwhile, Harry’s wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is having a separate lawsuit against ANL for breach of privacy, copyright and data protection, reports said.Her lawsuit is related to an article published last year by the newspaper that disclosed parts of her handwritten letter to her estranged father, Thomas Markle, in 2018, reports said.
Harry and Meghan published a statement in early January, saying they intend to “step back” as senior royals, spend time in North America and be financially independent.The British royal family announced later that it had agreed to the couple’s wish, and that according to a new arrangement that took effect in the spring of 2020, the couple will not use their royal titles and are required to step back from royal duties, including official military appointments.
Meanwhile, they will no longer receive public funds for royal duties, and can no longer formally represent the Queen, it added.
