A major blow for Prince Harry: the court rejects his lawsuit against the Daily Mail

Prince Harry and several other prominent British figures suffered a major legal setback on Tuesday. The High Court in London dismissed all of their privacy lawsuits against the publisher of the Daily Mail, bringing an end to one of the last major legal battles waged by the Duke of Sussex against the British press.

The younger son of Charles III, who resides in California but was present in the United Kingdom at the time of the judgment, has been pursuing a series of legal actions against various media groups for several years. He has long accused certain British media outlets of abusing their power and infringing on his privacy.

During the trial, Harry notably recalled his belief that the treatment of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, by the media had contributed to the circumstances leading to her death in a car crash in Paris in 1997. He also compared this situation to that experienced by his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, stating that the Daily Mail had made her life "a living hell".

Prince Harry had, however, achieved several legal victories in recent years, notably against the publisher of the Daily Mirror, as well as following a settlement with the British branch of Rupert Murdoch's media group. Tuesday's ruling, however, represents a significant defeat in his campaign against the media.

Media lawyer Mark Stephens believes that, despite the Duke of Sussex's previous successes, this case should lead to reflection on the evolution of the media landscape, which he considers very different from that of Princess Diana's era.

In a statement released on his own behalf and that of his co-plaintiff, Doreen Lawrence, mother of Stephen Lawrence, Harry denounced the decision as "a complete and obvious exoneration." For his part, the editor of the Daily Mail hailed the ruling as a "crushing victory," a decision that could mark the end of the main legal proceedings initiated by the prince against the British press.