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It was said that the case against Britain’s Associated Newspapers ( Owners of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday) would bring down media houses, curb their power and give celebrities and lawyers the upper hand in cases against journalists and media businesses.

The High Court found that Prince Harry and six other claimants had no clear evidence that the defendants, the Mail and its journalists, were malicious. They had no credible evidence to back up their accusations. Their case amounted to unsubstantiated allegations.

In his 436-page written judgment, Justice Nicklin threw out all 97 allegations against Associated Newspapers. He said suspicion, even understandable suspicion, is not proof.

The Claimants, Prince Harry, Elton John, his husbandDavid Furnish, the actress Elizabeth Hurley, the politician Sir Simon Hughes, Baroness Doreen Lawrence and the actress Sadie Frost lost this 50 million pound case and will likely have to pay costs

The judge found that the Mail’s articles were legitimately sourced.

After an 11-week trial, the High Court judge concluded the “ claimants failed to prove their pleaded allegations…the claims are therefore dismissed.

The claimants, including Prince Harry, could not prove that any information on them gathered by The Mail had been obtained unlawfully. They accused the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday of unlawful information gathering. Former Editor of the Daily Mail, and now Editor-in-Chief of all the Mail papers, Paul Dacre said: This case should never have been brought to trial. The judgement is a momentous victory for the Mail and an overwhelming vindication of our journalism.”

It must be said that the eminent Lord Denning, the former Master of the Rolls, established the foundational modern standard in English law that the media cannot be gagged from discussing a matter of vital public interest just because writs for civil litigation have been issued.

After losing his case against the Daily Mail and its sister Sunday newspaper, Prince Harry issued a statement which read: “We came to court seeking justice and accountability. But we have received neither. It is a complete and obvious whitewash, but sadly not altogether unexpected.”

Justice Nicklin said the Mail journalists were honest and impressive witnesses.

Top British newspaper man and longstanding Associated Newspapers senior executive, Paul Dacre, said in a statement, “Four years ago, Prince Harry accused the Mail in a blaze of publicity of placing bugs in homes, cars, cafes and landline phones. We described those charges, some of which go back 30 years, as lurid and preposterous.

“Today in what was a momentous victory for the Mail, the High Court dismissed every single one of the 97 charges. This is an overwhelming vindication of our journalism. There isn’t a laundry in the cosmos big enough to wash all the dirty linen he has aired about his family. For him to complain about privacy  being invaded takes not just the biscuit but the whole tin. Poor Harry! I feel sorry for the way a confused and angry young man has been drawn into this case.

“This case raises profound questions about the conduct of elements of the legal profession.”

Former senior reporter at the London Evening Standard, Bob McCann, speaking with Our Today, said: “ I am happy for Paul Dacre. He has consistently been one of our best professional editors in this country for the last forty years, and he must have gone through hell. He would have had to reassure the team at Associated that it would work out and that justice was on their side. It is a victory for the profession at a time when many seek to malign it, and even the President of the United States wants to punish media houses with outrageous lawsuits that threaten their very existence.

Top lawyers and celebrities should not be able to gag the press and stop matters of national interest be revealed to the public. They should never seek to ask why this is being revealed if the information is true and legitimately sourced.

It would have been a bleak day for British journalism if Prince Harry, Elton John and the lot of them had prevailed here. Journalist should always publish the facts and be given an opportunity to do their work and substantiate it.

Too many people are fearful of lawsuits and easily capitulate. The cost, the mental anguish, the duration of the trial can be prohibitive but you have to stand up for what you believe in, and when you are right, you are right. You must believe justice is on your side.”

Going forward, now Prince Harry cannot expect the Mail newspapers to have any love for him after what he put them through. It’s about to get very sticky for him, and the Mail has millions of readers.