Prince Harry has caused 'irreversible' damage to his relationship with the royal family, and Prince William is 'furious', according to former royal butler Grant Harrold. The Duke of Sussex made a rare visit to the UK this week, staying at an undisclosed location rather than a royal residence, as he made several public appearances.
High Court Privacy Case Loss
On Tuesday, Prince Harry lost his High Court privacy case against Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail. He, along with Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Elizabeth Hurley, and others, alleged unlawful methods were used to gather information for stories. Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed all 14 of Harry's claims, stating that suspicion is not proof.
In a joint statement, Harry and Baroness Lawrence called the judgment 'a complete and obvious whitewash' and 'shocking'. They argued that the court ignored evidence of unlawful activity by private investigators, including a taped admission of blagging Baroness Lawrence and a journalist recording a private investigator's name used to obtain sensitive medical information.
Former Butler's Insight
Grant Harrold, speaking to OLBG, said: 'Prince Harry has basically aired his dirty laundry in public – again. This will have a bigger impact than just a bit of upset for this visit. The Palace will not be happy at all. It’s going to make things even more difficult for Harry in the longer term. And I think this could be irreversible.'
Harrold added that Harry's behaviour shows he 'still isn’t willing to play by the rules' and that 'William will be furious'. He noted that Harry continues to put out statements criticising the royals, which William wants to leave in the past.
Financial Burden
The legal defeat leaves Harry with a significant financial burden, along with other claimants including David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, and Sir Simon Hughes. All their claims were dismissed.
Despite the setback, Harry delivered a speech at the Invictus Games on July 7, just after the court ruling. Royal commentator Hilary Fordwich suggested any meeting between Harry and King Charles would be meticulously organised to protect the monarchy's interests.
