Prince Harry wins 'substantial damages' in court battle

The Duke of Sussex has accepted an apology and "substantial damages" from the publisher of MailOnline and the Mail On Sunday over "baseless, false and defamatory" allegations he snubbed the Royal Marines after stepping down as a senior royal.

Harry sued Associated Newspapers for libel over two "almost identical" articles published in October, which claimed he had "not been in touch ... since his last appearance as an honorary Marine in March".

Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex celebrates his 36th birthday.
Prince Harry has won "substantial damages" from the publisher of MailOnline and the Mail On Sunday. Photo: AAP

At a brief remote High Court hearing on Monday, the duke's lawyers said Associated Newspapers have accepted the allegations were false "albeit after considerable damage was already done".

Jenny Afia, representing the duke, said Harry was donating his damages to the Invictus Games Foundation "so he could feel something good had come out of the situation".

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The two articles, published on October 25, claimed "exasperated top brass" were considering replacing Harry as Captain General of the Royal Marines because he "has not been in touch by phone, letter nor email since his last appearance as an honorary Marine".

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Harry is donating his damages to the Invictus Games Foundation "so he could feel something good had come out of the situation". Photo: Getty Images

At Monday's hearing, Ms Afia told Mr Justice Nicklin that the two articles "reported that the Duke of Sussex had turned his back on the Royal Marines, had snubbed the British armed forces and ignored correspondence from Lord Dannatt, a former chief of the general staff".

"All of these allegations are false, as the Mail on Sunday and the MailOnline have now accepted, albeit after considerable damage was already done," she said.

"The truth is that the Duke of Sussex has made repeated and concerted efforts to continue to support the Royal Marines and other members of the armed forces and their families over the past year, even though he was required to step back from his formal military roles in the 'year of transition' during which he must take a reduced role as a member of the royal family."

Reporting by AAP

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