Harry Retreats to California as Press War Falters

Guardian columnist Stephen Bates argues Prince Harry’s fight with the tabloid press has backfired: after a costly phone-hacking case against the Daily Mail, key evidence fell away and the paper prevailed, leaving Harry facing substantial legal costs (potentially around £50m) and dwindling public sympathy in Britain. With his privacy crusade undermined and his future uncertain, he remains in California for now, suggesting a difficult path back to any royal comeback or family reconciliation.