Prince Harry has refrained from initiating new lawsuits for over a year, amidst increasing tensions with the U.S. media.
Quick Facts
- Legal Stance: Prince Harry hasn’t filed any new lawsuits since October 2022, despite numerous negative media stories.
- Previous Lawsuits: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been involved in 10 lawsuits since September 2019, with Harry being a part of two additional cases.
- U.S. Media Shift: The past year has witnessed a significant change in American media’s portrayal of the duke and duchess, potentially affecting their media litigation strategy.
Prince Harry’s decision to not file any new lawsuits in the past year has raised eyebrows, especially given the consistent flow of negative stories about him. While there are several potential reasons for this hiatus, one cannot ignore the five ongoing lawsuits that might be consuming his attention.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time the prince has taken a break from legal battles. In 2021, he refrained from initiating any new cases, only to return with renewed vigor in 2022. That year, he sued the British government twice and also took legal action against the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday twice. This pattern suggests that while Prince Harry might be taking a step back now, it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s done with legal confrontations.
The past year has also seen a shift in how the American media perceives and portrays the duke and duchess. This change in narrative might be influencing their broader strategy of managing public relations through media litigation. The U.S. media, with its First Amendment right to freedom of speech, operates under different rules than the British media, which might be another factor in Prince Harry’s current legal approach.
| For Further Reading | Phone Hacking Allegations: Prince Harry has accused several British newspapers of phone hacking. This invasive practice involves unauthorized access to private voicemails. The duke has specifically sued News Group Newspapers and Mirror Group Newspapers over these allegations. He recently became the first royal to testify in court in over a century regarding these claims. [Wikipedia] |
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Q&A
Why hasn’t Prince Harry filed any new lawsuits recently?
Prince Harry has not initiated any new lawsuits in the past year, possibly due to the five ongoing cases he’s currently involved in and the changing dynamics with the U.S. media.
Has Prince Harry taken legal action against media outlets before?
Yes, Prince Harry has previously sued several media outlets, including the British government, the Daily Mail, and Mail on Sunday, among others.
How has the U.S. media’s portrayal of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle changed?
The U.S. media’s narrative around the couple has shifted in the past year, with some outlets and personalities ridiculing them, leading to a decline in their public opinion ratings in America.
Source: Original article by Jack Royston, Newsweek, 10/19/23.
