Prince Harry awaits court ruling in privacy case against Daily Mail

Prince Harry is set to learn the outcome of his High Court lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail as he returns to the United Kingdom for a series of public engagements.

The High Court is due to deliver its written judgment on the afternoon of July 7, following an 11-week trial earlier this year in the duke's claim against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over alleged unlawful information gathering, dpa reports.

Harry is among a group of high-profile claimants that also includes Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Elton John and his husband David Furnish. They allege that private investigators, freelance journalists and ANL staff engaged in unlawful practices, including voicemail interception, landline tapping and obtaining information by deception, commonly known as "blagging."

ANL has denied all allegations and defended the case, stating that it "has established a complete defence to all parts of the claims on the merits" and that the legal action was brought too late.

The ruling comes as Harry's accommodation plans during his UK visit became the subject of public attention. According to his spokesperson, it was "disappointing" that an offer from King Charles III for Harry to stay at Buckingham Palace had been "withdrawn at the last moment," with the impending court judgment cited as the reason.

According to reports, Harry initially declined the offer for himself and his family before later requesting accommodation for himself alone after his family decided not to travel to London. However, Buckingham Palace reportedly said it could no longer provide the necessary hospitality and staffing arrangements at such short notice and was also mindful that the ongoing legal proceedings could affect the King's constitutional position.

The duke is understood to have sought accommodation for a single night before beginning five days of engagements in London and Birmingham, including events marking the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games.

Harry's first public appearance is scheduled to be at an Invictus Games Foundation conference at Chatham House, where members of the Invictus community, policymakers and veterans' representatives will discuss issues affecting wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans.

The High Court trial heard evidence from dozens of witnesses, including Harry, Baroness Lawrence, actress Elizabeth Hurley, actress Sadie Frost, former Liberal Democrat politician Simon Hughes, and current and former ANL journalists and executives.

During cross-examination in January, Harry said he could not challenge some of the 14 newspaper articles included in his claim at the time "because of the institution I was in."

In written evidence, he also alleged that "knowingly false" information had been inserted into stories "to put me off the scent", claiming this was done to conceal unlawful methods, including voicemail interception.

ANL rejected those allegations, arguing that Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday journalists relied on legitimate sources, including friends and acquaintances of public figures, press officers, spokespersons, previous reporting, freelance journalists, and material published by other newspapers and news agencies.

The trial also examined whether the claims were filed within the legal time limit. Under UK law, legal action related to alleged unlawful information gathering must generally be brought within six years of a claimant discovering they may have grounds for a case.

By Sabina Mammadli