Prince Harry withdraws libel claim against British tabloid

Britain's Prince Harry on Friday withdrew his libel claim against the publisher of the Mail on Sunday newspaper over an article about his security arrangements, with his spokesperson saying he wanted to focus on his family's safety.

Harry, King Charles' younger son, had sued Associated Newspapers over a 2022 article which stated he only offered to pay for police protection after bringing a separate legal fight against the British government.

The report also accused Harry, 39, of attempting to mislead the public about his willingness to pay for the policing, which was withdrawn after he stepped back from royal duties in 2020.

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In December, he lost his attempt to have the paper's defence to his libel lawsuit thrown out, meaning he would have likely had to give evidence at London's High Court later this year.

The Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday's sister title, reported that Harry, the Duke of Sussex, had abandoned his case hours before his lawyers were required to hand over relevant documents.

The paper said he would now be obliged to pay the paper's costs of 250,000 pounds ($316,900.00) along with his own fees which it put at 500,000 pounds. Both Harry's lawyer and a spokesperson for Associated declined to comment.

Focus on safety of family

The prince's spokesperson, who said the legal costs had not been determined, said he had withdrawn the claim because he wanted to focus on the safety of his family and his case against the British government over the decision to strip him of automatic police protection when he was in Britain.

Harry, his US wife Meghan and their two children now live in California after the couple stepped down from royal duties in 2020. His claim against the government was heard in December with a ruling expected in the next few months.

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