Prince Harry loses complaint against 'inaccurate' newspaper article that claimed elephant was 'drugged and tethered'

Prince Harry has lost a complaint against a British tabloid that claimed the Sussex Royal Instagram account deliberately mislead followers over a post about wildlife.

The Mail on Sunday said Prince Harry had not made it clear the animals in the photos had been tranquilised and the elephant was tethered.

But Harry argued those details were not needed as the animals were being moved as part of a conservation program in Africa.

Prince Harry complained to the press watchdog Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipsos) arguing the article was inaccurate.

The Instagram post was made on April 22, 2019, to mark Earth Day – a global movement that aims to educate the population about the environment and climate change while pushing for action.

It featured a series of wildlife photos including images of a rhino, a lion, whales and an elephant shared on Prince Harry and Meghan's joint account which has 11 million followers.

The Mail on Sunday's headline read: "Drugged and tethered... what Harry didn't tell you about those awe-inspiring wildlife photos".

It alleged the photos "don't quite tell the full story" and claimed Prince Harry had "notably avoided explaining the circumstances in which the images were taken".

The publication said followers of Harry and Meghan's Sussex Royal Instagram account were unable to see a see a rope around the hind legs of the elephant because the images had been cropped.

Prince Harry said the article – published in April – breached Clause 1 (Accuracy) of the Editor's Code of Practice.

He said the photos had been cropped due to the social media platform's formatting requirements, a claim the Mail on Sunday disputed.

The Ipso ruling said Prince Harry had argued "he had not misled the public by failing to explain the circumstances in which the photograph of the elephant had been taken and that the article was inaccurate in claiming that he had sought to mislead the public by deliberately publishing an edited version of the photograph", reports the BBC.

But the watchdog said there had been no breach of the accuracy clause.

Ipso ruled it 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".

Prince Harry and Meghan frequently use their Sussex Royal account to bring light to environmental issues.

In another post in April – before the one at the centre of the media complaint – Harry and Meghan are seen placing a tracking collar on an elephant while assisting the Elephants Without Borders (EWB) program in Botswana.

And in August, they shared photos more photos from Botswana while assisting EWB.

One of the photos showed Meghan's hands cradling an elephant trunk.

Another featured Prince Harry approaching an elephant, holding equipment used to track their movements.

The royal couple had brought attention to Elephants Without Borders which led to a surge of support from royal fans around the world, including US talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.

The publicity – and donations – have allowed the charity to help protect 25 elephants by fitting them with satellite navigation collars.

"These collars allow the team at EWB to track the elephants, as well as to learn their essential migratory patterns to keep their corridors safe and open so future generations of elephants can roam freely," the Sussex Royal account explained.