Prince Harry Stunned as Justice Fancourt Rejects $2.5M Legal Fees Request, Leading to Deportation from the US

Prince Harry's legal battle against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) persists, with his lawyer requesting a judge to compel MGN to cover nearly £2 million in legal fees. In December, Harry was granted £40,000 in damages after a judge determined that 15 out of 33 articles scrutinized during the trial were the result of phone hacking or unlawful information gathering. Despite this, the awarded sum was only a fraction of what he had sought, and he still has multiple ongoing cases against various publishers. Notably, in 2023, Prince Harry made history by becoming the first senior member of the royal family to testify in court in over a century, when he took the witness stand to support his wife Meghan Markle in a case against MGN. Following the recent ruling against MGN, Harry referred to himself as a "dragon slayer" and expressed his intent to continue challenging the tabloid press.

It is worth mentioning that Harry recently abandoned a legal case against the publisher of the Daily Mail after an unfavorable pre-trial ruling. In the current legal proceedings, the hearing on Monday primarily revolved around legal fees related to a trial where Harry was one of four claimants. The judge acknowledged privacy violations for all four claimants, but cases brought by actor Nikki Sanderson and Fiona White, comedian Paul Whitehouse's ex-wife, were dismissed due to being filed too late. Actor Michael Turner was awarded £31,000.

During the hearing, Harry's barrister, David Sherborne, argued for reimbursement, emphasizing the overwhelming success of his client's case. MGN's lawyer, Roger Malalio, contended that their client should only cover legal fees for the parts of the claims it lost. Justice Timothy Fancourt postponed his ruling to a later date. Harry alleged invasion of privacy in over 148 articles, with Sherborne proposing a trial to address the remaining 115 articles.

In response to these legal developments, some royal fans criticized Prince Harry, accusing him of delusions and jealousy toward Prince William. William was awarded a million in damages, which he donated to Harry's charity, citing nearly 20 instances of hacking between himself and Catherine. Some critics questioned Harry's motives, suggesting that his lawyers are pursuing payment due to his financial situation and predicting potential challenges in collecting fees from him.

Overall, Prince Harry's legal battles continue to generate public scrutiny and commentary, both on the legal intricacies of the cases and the dynamics within the royal family.