According to a media analyst, Prince Harry is determined to cause major damage to the reputation of the tabloid media through his ongoing civil cases.
Alice Enders has expressed her belief that the Duke of Sussex is actively challenging the system that exists between the Royal Household and the tabloids.
In the High Court, Prince Harry brought claims against various media entities, including the newspapers of Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper group (the parent company of the Sun and the now defunct News of the World), Associated Newspapers (the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday) and Mirror Group Newspapers (whose parent company is now called Reach).
In an interview with the Financial Times, Enders said: “Prince Harry is on a mission against what he perceives to be a ‘system’ that operates in Britain between the tabloids and the Royal House.”
She further added, “He is determined, as a matter of principle, to inflict as much damage to their reputation as possible. The amount of money involved is clearly not as important to him as the mission itself. The phone hack had disappeared from public view, and Prince Harry brought it back into focus.”
Recently, the Duke of Sussex faced a setback in the High Court when he lost his case against the Home Office. Harry had challenged the Home Office over its security arrangements during visits to the UK. He sought a judicial review of the decision that prevented him from privately funding his protective security, but the review ended in defeat.
Harry argued his offer to pay should have caused the Home Office to reconsider. However, Chamberlain J. dismissed the application for judicial review on several grounds.
As a result, Prince Harry is now unable to pursue a second High Court challenge against the Home Office. The Home Office has expressed concern that allowing wealthy people to buy police security could set an undesirable precedent. The decision came after a day-long hearing at the High Court in London two weeks ago.
