Harry claims paper branded him a liar in protection row

THE Duke of Sussex was labelled a liar who tried to manipulate the public, the High Court heard.

The Duke is suing for libel, claiming a report suggesting that he had tried to keep a legal fight about his bodyguards secret had caused him “substantial hurt, embarrassment and distress”.

The Mail on Sunday story said that after it broke the news that the Duke was seeking a judicial review of the government decision not to provide police protection for him and his family in the UK, his PR machine “tried to put positive spin on the dispute”.

Justin Rushbrooke QC, for the Duke, said that the articles claimed the Prince “lied in his initial public statements to the effect that he had always been willing to pay for police protection” when, he insisted, he had only made such an offer recently.

Andrew Caldecott QC, for Associated Newspapers, said: “The article does allege that the claimant’s PR team spun the story, which led to inaccurate reporting about the nature of the claim. It does not allege dishonesty.”