Prince Harry has spent years fighting legal battles against powerful institutions, determined to challenge decisions and media practices that he believes have affected his privacy, security and family.

Since stepping away as a senior working royal in 2020, the Duke of Sussex has repeatedly turned to the courts in an effort to protect himself, Meghan Markle, and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

But while Harry has secured victories in some cases, he has also faced major setbacks — including his latest defeat against the publisher of the Daily Mail.

Here is a look inside the Duke’s most significant legal battles.

Associated Newspapers Limited: Phone Hacking Lawsuit

One of Harry’s most closely watched cases involved Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.

Harry joined a group of celebrities, including Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley, in suing the publisher over allegations that their phones were hacked and personal information was unlawfully obtained.

ANL denied the claims, arguing that the allegations were outdated and that the claimants had failed to provide enough evidence to prove wrongdoing.

The case reached a major turning point in July 2026, when High Court Judge Mr Justice Nicklin ruled against Harry and the other high-profile claimants.

The judge concluded that their claims had not been proven, stating that the evidence did not establish that the articles in question were the result of unlawful information gathering.

“The Court rejected the attempt to prove the claims by broad inference where there remained a legitimate and realistic possible lawful source pathway, or where the article-specific evidence did not prove that the relevant information must have been obtained unlawfully,” the judgment summary said.

The decision marked a significant legal setback for Harry, who had argued for years that British tabloids had invaded his privacy.

Mirror Group Newspapers: A Major Victory

Harry also pursued legal action against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), the publisher of the Daily Mirror, over allegations of phone hacking and unlawful information gathering.

MGN denied Harry’s accusations that journalists accessed his private voicemail messages and argued that it was not responsible for claims dating before October 2000, when the UK’s Human Rights Act 1998 came into effect.

In June 2023, Harry made history by becoming the first royal in 130 years to testify in court.

Later that year, in December 2023, a judge ruled in Harry’s favor, finding there was “sufficient proof” that the publisher had engaged in unlawful information gathering, including phone hacking.

The decision represented one of Harry’s biggest legal victories.

News Group Newspapers and The Sun Case

Harry also filed a lawsuit against News Group Newspapers (NGN), the publisher of The Sun, accusing the company of unlawful information gathering connected to stories published in its newspapers.

In court documents, Harry claimed that his brother, Prince William, had previously reached a private settlement with NGN in 2020 and alleged there was a secret agreement preventing members of the royal family from taking legal action.

NGN denied the existence of any such agreement.

The company previously admitted that phone hacking occurred at the now-closed News of the World, but denied wrongdoing involving The Sun.

In July 2023, Judge Timothy Fancourt allowed parts of Harry’s case to continue but dismissed his phone hacking claims because they fell outside the six-year legal time limit.

The judge also ruled that Harry had not provided evidence proving that a secret agreement between NGN and the royal family existed.

Harry ultimately settled the lawsuit in January 2025.

Associated Newspapers Defamation Case

Harry previously sued ANL over a February 2022 article published by the Mail on Sunday, claiming it defamed him by suggesting he had misrepresented details about his legal fight over security protection.

ANL argued that Harry’s legal team was attempting to restrict the newspaper’s ability to comment on the matter.

In July 2022, a judge ruled that the article was capable of being defamatory and allowed the case to proceed.

However, Harry later withdrew the lawsuit in January 2024.

The Fight Over UK Security Protection

Perhaps Harry’s most public legal battle has involved his security arrangements during visits to the United Kingdom.

After stepping down from royal duties, Harry lost automatic taxpayer-funded police protection. His legal team argued that he and his family remained high-profile figures who faced security risks despite no longer being working royals.

In 2022, Harry requested a judicial review after the Home Office rejected his attempt to privately pay for police protection while visiting the UK.

In May 2023, his request was denied.

A year later, in February 2024, the High Court dismissed his security claim. Harry appealed the decision in June 2024, but officially lost the appeal in May 2025.

Harry’s legal team argued that the decision-making process by RAVEC (Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures) was unfair because he was not allowed to make informed representations beforehand.

However, the court ultimately rejected his challenge.

Months later, in January 2026, RAVEC conducted a fresh risk assessment review and ruled in Harry’s favor.

A Royal Fight Played Out in Court

From privacy battles with British tabloids to disputes over personal security, Prince Harry’s legal journey has become one of the most closely followed chapters of his life outside the royal institution.

The Duke has argued that these cases are about protecting his family and holding powerful organizations accountable.

But the mixed results show just how difficult those battles have been — with major victories, painful defeats and years of courtroom battles shaping his post-royal identity.

Source: Various Sources.