The ruling was based on Justice Nicklin's assessment that the publisher had a "real prospect of demonstrating that an honest person could have held the view" that a statement released by the Duke’s representatives was "a masterclass in the art of spinning."
The judge has directed Prince Harry to settle the £48,447 legal costs incurred by Associated in connection with the "summary judgment application" by December 29.
In March, the Duke sought to strike out the newspaper’s "honest opinion" defense. His lawyer, Justin Rushbrooke KC, argued that the defense should be dismissed because it "rests upon two provably false premises," related to a press statement released by the Duke during the legal challenge.
Associated's stance is that the article, which asserted that the Duke’s PR team attempted to "put positive spin on the dispute," expressed an "honest opinion" and did not cause serious harm to the royal.
The Mail on Sunday and Mail Online had published an article in February 2022, alleging that Prince Harry tried to conceal efforts to retain publicly funded protection in the UK after relinquishing his status as a working member of the royal family in 2020.
The government defended its decision to withdraw full protection for Prince Harry, citing his resignation from the role as a senior working member of the Firm. It maintained that he was treated fairly and received security occasionally during visits.
