The Mail on Sunday apologized for an October article claiming that Prince Harry had not been in contact with the Royal Marines since leaving his post as general in March. The article further claimed that the Duke of Sussex had ignored a letter from Lord Dannatt, the former head of the army, requesting increased support for the British military community. Harry then filed a libel suit against the paper's publisher, Associated Newspapers (opens in new tab), and lawyers from the London law firm Schillings called the article's claims "false and defamatory."

"An October 25, 2020, article reported that Prince Harry had failed to reply to a letter from former Chief of Staff Lord Dannatt in an apparent snub to the armed forces after being accused by a top general of turning his back on the Royal Marines since he retired from military service in March," the Mail on Sunday published Sunday's "Corrections and Corrections" page (opens in new tab), the statement reads.

"We understand that Harry has been in contact and providing informal support in a private capacity to individuals in the military, including the Royal Marines, since March, and that he did not initially receive the letter from Lord Dannatt referenced in the article due to administrative issues, but has replied since learning of it. We understand that we did not initially receive the letter from Sir Dannatt due to administrative issues, but have since learned of it," the statement continues. We have apologized to Prince Harry and have made a donation to the Invictus Games Foundation."

In response to the Mail on Sunday article, which has now been retracted, Harry's aide told Vanity Fair (opens in new tab), "It is not true that he has not been in contact with the Marines. He spoke with his former colleagues numerous times during the standoff and is in regular contact with many military personnel both privately and personally." Sources close to the Duke told the magazine that he did not receive Lord Dannatt's letter and that the Duke's office subsequently requested that it be forwarded to his staff in Los Angeles.

Harry was reportedly devastated by the loss of his role as Grand Master after he and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior members of the royal family (opens in new tab). Recent reports have suggested that the Sussexes may seek to regain some of their prestigious military titles in future negotiations over the abdication arrangement (opens in new tab) that they have made with the royal family.

After the Mail on Sunday article was published, an unnamed friend of the royal family told Vanity Fair, "He may have been made to give up his title, but he has not given up the military."