Prince Harry and six other prominent figures have lost their High Court privacy case against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, after a judge ruled they failed to prove allegations of unlawful information gathering.
Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed all claims, concluding that the claimants had not presented sufficient evidence to establish that information used in disputed articles had been obtained unlawfully.
The case brought together Prince Harry, Sir Elton John, David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, Sir Simon Hughes and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, who alleged the publisher had relied on unlawful methods to obtain information for a number of stories.
Associated Newspapers denied all allegations throughout the proceedings and welcomed the ruling as a complete victory.
In a 436-page judgment, Mr Justice Nicklin said the allegations were serious and therefore required convincing evidence rather than suspicion.
He ruled that each claim had to be assessed individually and declined to conclude that unlawful information gathering had been widespread or habitual at Associated Newspapers.
The judge accepted the explanations provided by Associated Newspapers journalists regarding how disputed stories had been sourced.
He also found the claimants had not proved that former editors Paul Dacre and Peter Wright, or senior company lawyer Elizabeth Hartley, had given false evidence to the Leveson Inquiry.
Addressing one article concerning Prince Harry and Cressida Bonas, the judge stated: "But suspicion, even understandable suspicion, is not proof."
Associated Newspapers described the judgment as an "overwhelming victory for the Daily Mail and its journalists" and said every allegation had been dismissed.
The publisher said the case had consumed substantial court time and generated legal costs exceeding £50 million.
Reports indicate the claimants could face legal costs of up to £50 million if the publisher successfully recovers its expenses.
Sir Simon Hughes said the ruling was "very disappointing" and that he would consider the judge's findings before deciding on any further action.
A further two-day hearing is scheduled to begin on 29 July.
The ruling marks the latest chapter in Prince Harry's legal disputes with sections of the British press, following previous litigation over alleged unlawful information gathering involving other newspaper publishers.