Prince Harry loses privacy case

LONDON: Prince Harry and several other prominent British figures on Tuesday lost their privacy claims against the publisher of the Daily Mail, in a sweeping setback in the duke's remaining legal fight with the British press.

Harry, the younger son of King Charles, was in Britain when London's High Court delivered the ruling, although he now lives in California. The 41-year-old has pursued multiple cases against British newspaper groups and has for years accused parts of the press of abusing their power.

The case adds a notable defeat to a wider campaign in which Harry has also secured wins and settlements. He had earlier succeeded in a case against the publisher of the Daily Mirror and also settled a claim with Rupert Murdoch's British newspaper business. During court proceedings in January, he became emotional while giving evidence and said the Daily Mail had made Meghan's life an absolute misery. Harry has also long held the press responsible for the circumstances surrounding the 1997 Paris car crash that killed his mother, Princess Diana, and has drawn comparisons between the treatment of Diana and that of his wife Meghan.

Commenting on Tuesday's outcome, Reuters quoted media lawyer Mark Stephens as saying Harry's broader record against other publishers had been stronger, but that the landscape had changed.

"His campaign against the other newspaper groups has largely been successful, but I think it's time to reappraise what the media today is and it's very different to the media of (the time of) Princess Diana," Stephens said.