The Duke of Sussex has lost his press complaint over an article published by the Mail on Sunday which criticised him for misleading his followers.
On Earth Day in April last year, Prince Harry took to Instagram to share eight photographs he’d taken of some of the world’s most endangered species and ecosystems.
The royal, who is incredibly passionate about global conservation and protection of wildlife, shared images of an African rhino, and elephant, desert lions, orcas and humpback whales as well as the Okavango Delta in Botswana and Guyana forest.
However, shortly after the images were posted to the @sussexroyal account, The Mail On Sunday (who is currently fighting a separate lawsuit against them filed by the Sussexes) published a story claiming Prince Harry had failed to mention that the animals he had photographed had been tranquilised, and the elephant tethered.
Harry took his complaint to the watchdog Ispo, arguing that the article was inaccurate and breached Clause 1 (Accuracy) of the Editor’s Code of Practice.
The 35-year-old felt he did not have to explicitly say they were tranquilised or tethered as he had stated they were being moved as part of a conservation scheme.
The article headlined ‘Drugged and tethered… what Harry didn’t tell you about those awe-inspiring wildlife photos’ claimed the images Harry posted of the rhino, lion and elephant “don’t quite tell the full story,” the BBC reports.
And added Harry had “notably avoided explaining the circumstances in which the images were taken”.
Ipso did not uphold the complaint, stating in its ruling that there had been no breach of the accuracy clause saying they did not believe it was “significantly misleading to report that the photographs posted on the complainant’s Instagram account did not quite tell the full story and that the complainant had not explained the circumstances in which the photographs had been taken.”
One of the photographs Prince Harry shared for Earth Day, which the Mail On Sunday claimed was misleading. (Image: Instagram/@sussexroyal)
It’s certainly not the first time Harry and Meghan have taken action against the press.
In October last year the couple shared they were taking legal action against the Mail On Sunday over its “intrusive and unlawful publication of a private letter written by the Duchess of Sussex, which is part of a campaign by this media group [Associated Newspapers] to publish false and deliberately derogatory stories about her, as well as her husband,” explained a legal spokesperson from Schillings, who are representing the couple.
The news came alongside an emotion-filled statement by Prince Harry, who wrote of what he feels has been a “relentless” and “ruthless” campaign against Meghan from some British tabloids and that they he was now taking a stand against the false and malicious reports.
Just weeks later the couple opened up to ITV in the documentary Harry and Meghan: An African Journey about their private struggle behind closed doors.
WATCH: Duchess Meghan says she never thought becoming a royal would be easy – but she thought it would be ‘fair’. Story continues below…
Meghan confessed she was struggled throughout her pregnancy with the intense scrutiny, while Prince Harry likened the treatment to what he witnessed his late mother went through and ultimately the events that led to her tragic death in 1997.
Less than three months later, the couple announced they would be stepping back as senior members of the Royal Family in a bombshell statement that rocked the world and Buckingham Palace.
After crisis meetings, the couple have agreed to relinquish all their royal duties and the use of their royal style ‘HRH’. They will also no longer receive public funding and have revealed they will pay back the £2.4 million for the renovations to their Frogmore Cottage home at Windsor which will remain their UK home while they split their time between Canada and Britain.
