A landmark legal battle against one of Britain's most prominent newspaper publishers begins at the High Court in London today. The Duke of Sussex and six other high-profile claimants are suing Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), publisher of the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday, over serious allegations of unlawful information gathering.
The Claimants and Their Allegations
The group, which includes Prince Harry, Sir Elton John, his husband David Furnish, campaigner Baroness Doreen Lawrence, former Liberal Democrat MP Sir Simon Hughes, and actresses Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley, claims ANL engaged in or commissioned a range of illegal activities. These alleged actions span decades and include hiring private investigators to plant listening devices in cars, illegally accessing private phone records through 'blagging', and intercepting confidential telephone conversations.
ANL has vehemently denied all accusations, labelling them as "preposterous". The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Nicklin, is scheduled to last for nine weeks and will see each claimant present their evidence. Prince Harry is expected to take the witness stand on Thursday, while Sir Elton John and David Furnish are set to give their testimony remotely.
A History of Legal Confrontations with the Press
For Prince Harry, this case represents his third major legal action against a national newspaper publisher. The Duke, who stepped back as a senior working royal in 2020, has become an outspoken critic of certain media practices. In December 2023, he was awarded £140,600 in damages from Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) after a judge found the publisher had hacked his phone. He also settled a separate claim against News Group Newspapers (NGN) in January 2025.
The other claimants bring their own histories of press intrusion. Baroness Lawrence, a peer renowned for her justice campaign following the racist murder of her son Stephen in 1993, revealed she was alerted to the potential claim by a text message from Harry. Sir Simon Hughes previously accepted substantial damages from NGN. Both Liz Hurley and Sadie Frost have settled previous phone-hacking claims, with Frost receiving a record £260,250 in damages from MGN in 2015.
What to Expect from the Trial
The trial will open with statements from both legal teams before each claimant presents their case with supporting witnesses. Lawyers for ANL are also expected to call witnesses, including the newspaper's former editor, Paul Dacre. The publisher had previously attempted to have the claims dismissed without a trial, but a judge ruled in November 2023 that they should proceed.
Some allegations have already been excluded. In October 2025, Mr Justice Nicklin ruled that a claim ANL commissioned "burglary to order" could not be part of the trial. The judge has also governed the use of sensitive documents, initially barring evidence from the Leveson Inquiry before the government permitted the disclosure of certain records in March 2024.
This case is seen as a pivotal moment for press accountability in the UK. Following Harry's previous settlement, former Labour deputy leader Lord Watson praised the Duke's "bravery and astonishing courage", stating he had "brought accountability to a part of the media that thought it was untouchable." The outcome of this nine-week trial will be closely watched, with a written judgment to be delivered at a later date.
