Duke of Sussex Instructed to Pay Nearly £50,000 to Mail on Sunday by Year-End

Prince Harry has been ordered to cover nearly £50,000 in legal costs for the publisher of The Mail on Sunday, Associated Newspapers Limited, according to a High Court judge's decision.

After a failed attempt to dismiss the newspaper's defense in his ongoing libel lawsuit, Harry must pay an interim amount of £48,447 by year's end.

The judge outlined the payment, proceeding schedules, and noted that a trial is set for May 17 to July 31, 2024, expected to last three days, with a pre-trial review roughly two months prior.

Harry's lawsuit concerns an article from February 2022, which he claims misrepresented his statements regarding payment for his family's police protection in the UK, allegedly damaging his reputation and charitable efforts. Associated Newspapers rebuts this, stating the piece was a legitimate opinion and not seriously harmful.

In a recent decision, the court upheld the newspaper's right to present its case in the trial, finding potential merit in its argument that Harry has previously made misleading statements regarding his legal challenge against the Home Office. A scheduled hearing for the case's consequences was canceled following the judge's ruling.