Prince Harry and Elton John lose privacy case against Daily Mail publisher as High Court dismisses all claims

The verdict

Judge Matthew Nicklin ruled on Tuesday that the seven claimants had not proven their allegations of unlawful information gathering against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday. The 436-page judgment rejected all 97 accusations that stories published between 1993 and 2018 were based on illegally obtained private information. The judge also found that the claims were filed out of time without adequate justification for the delay.

The claimants have not succeeded in proving the allegations of unlawful information gathering they had made.

The claimants and allegations

The group included the Duke of Sussex, singer Elton John, his husband David Furnish, actors Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost, anti-racism campaigner Doreen Lawrence, and former Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes. They accused ANL of intercepting voicemails, tapping phone calls, obtaining confidential records such as medical data through deception, and hiring private investigators to produce more than 50 articles. The trial lasted 11 weeks and ended on 31 March 2026, with legal costs estimated at up to £50 million, a bill the losing side will largely bear.

During his testimony in January, Harry became emotional, blaming tabloids for making his wife's life unbearable.

They continue to come after me, they have made my wife's life an absolute misery.

Reaction from the publisher

ANL welcomed the ruling as a vindication of its journalism. In a statement, the company called the outcome an overwhelming victory for press freedom.

This is an overwhelming victory for the Daily Mail and its journalists, as well as for press freedom in general. It is a magnificent vindication of Daily Mail journalism.

Harry's visit and family tensions

The verdict coincided with Harry's visit to the UK, his first in months. He arrived alone on Monday evening after a last-minute decision not to bring his wife Meghan and their children Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, citing security concerns. An invitation to stay at Buckingham Palace was withdrawn, dashing hopes of a reconciliation with King Charles. Harry was attending an Invictus Games event in London when the ruling was handed down.

Harry's legal crusade against tabloids

This was the final outstanding privacy case for Harry, who has pursued a series of lawsuits against British tabloids. He won a judgment against the Daily Mirror in 2023 for widespread phone hacking and reached a financial settlement with The Sun's publisher in 2025. The defeat leaves him facing a substantial costs order and raises questions about the strategy behind the litigation.