Harry Accepts Apology, Damages in Libel Suit

Paper claimed he had turned his back on military
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Feb 1, 2021 2:39 PM CST
Harry Accepts Apology, Damages in Libel Suit
In this Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020 photo, Britain's Prince Harry arrives in the gardens of Buckingham Palace in London.   (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

Prince Harry on Monday accepted an apology and damages from the publisher of British tabloid the Mail on Sunday and its online version, MailOnline, in a libel lawsuit relating to articles about his relationship with the British armed forces. Harry sued Associated Newspapers for libel over two articles published in October that claimed he had snubbed the Royal Marines after stepping down as a senior royal. The articles claimed that Harry had "not been in touch" with the force since his last appearance as an honorary Marine in March, and that military leaders were considering replacing him as Captain General of the Royal Marines, the AP reports. Harry served for a decade in the British army. His lawyers said in court documents that he was "frustrated and saddened" because the articles would diminish his credibility with veterans.

Lawyer Jenny Afia, representing Harry, said the publisher has accepted that allegations that he had turned his back on the force were false. The articles were "baseless, false, and defamatory" and "constituted not only a personal attack upon the Duke’s character but also wrongly brought into question his service to this country," Afia said. She said Harry was "proud to have served in the British armed forces for 10 years in Her Majesty’s name" and "has maintained active links with those forces ever since and will continue to do so in the future." Harry will donate the damages to the Invictus Games Foundation, a charity for wounded or sick servicemen and women that he founded, Afia said. The amount of the damages was not disclosed.

(More Prince Harry stories.)

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