Prince Harry faced a significant setback as he withdrew a libel case against the Mail on Sunday, admitting defeat on the day he was supposed to provide a list of documents in court.
The case revolved around an article alleging that his PR aides tried to manipulate a dispute with the home office concerning the downgrading of his taxpayer-funded police protection. This admission of defeat places Prince Harry under the financial burden of estimated legal bills amounting to £750,000.
Rather than meeting the deadline for submitting legal documents, Prince Harry chose to withdraw the case just before his lawyers were required to provide a list of files. His legal team at Schillings had initially sought to have the case ruled in Harry's favor without a trial, confident in their arguments.
However, last month, Mr. Justice Nicklin rejected this request, stating that the newspaper had a real prospect of demonstrating that statements issued on Harry's behalf were misleading. This ruling meant the case was progressing toward a libel trial in the usual legal process.
Today marked the deadline for disclosure of a list of relevant documents, but the decision to abandon the case was made abruptly. Sources suggest that this unexpected withdrawal might be linked to Meghan Markle's partnership with the Daily Mail, with allegations that she was behind the PR articles. The claim is that Harry retreated under his wife's orders due to an alleged contractual agreement with The Daily Mail, exposing a shaky case.
The argument circulating is that the Mail on Sunday called Prince Harry's bluff, revealing potential communications with journalists. The decision to drop the case is perceived as a strategic move to avoid further scrutiny and potential damage to his public image.
In other news, a royal expert has disclosed Britain's King Charles's true feelings for his estranged son Prince Harry amid the monarch's health issues. Speaking to Newsweek, King Charles biographer Robert Hardman believes that the father and son will patch up their relationship because "the door is always open."
Hardman acknowledges that Charles would love to have Harry back in the family fold, although he doesn't foresee Harry returning to royal duties. The expert's claims come days after Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles would be treated for an enlarged prostate in the hospital this week, emphasizing that the king sought treatment similar to thousands of men each year.
