The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, has taken a prominent seat at the High Court in London as a monumental legal case against the publisher of the Daily Mail gets underway. He is one of seven high-profile claimants alleging a years-long campaign of unlawful information gathering by Associated Newspapers.
A Star-Studded Lineup of Claimants
Prince Harry, who flew in from California to attend the opening of the case, is joined by a notable group of co-claimants. These include music icon Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish, actors Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost, campaigning figure Doreen Lawrence, and former Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes. The case, which is expected to last for ten weeks, represents a significant escalation in the Duke's ongoing battles with the British press.
The claimants allege that Associated Newspapers, which also publishes the Mail on Sunday, engaged in a range of illegal activities to source stories. Their barrister, David Sherborne, outlined accusations including the illegal interception of voicemail messages, listening to live landline calls, and obtaining private medical records. The alleged acts are said to have spanned from 1993 to 2011, and even continued in some instances until 2018.
"Lurid" Allegations and Hefty Costs
In written submissions, Sherborne stated the methods used went beyond phone hacking. He claimed the publisher hired private investigators to place listening devices in cars and used deception, known as "blagging," to access confidential personal records. Associated Newspapers has vehemently denied all allegations, labelling them as "preposterous smears" and "lurid" claims.
The legal battle is set to be extraordinarily costly, with estimates suggesting total costs could reach a staggering £38 million. This case is the culmination of a claim first lodged in October 2022. The publisher previously attempted to have the case dismissed on grounds that the claims were too old, but this application was unsuccessful.
Harry's Continued Fight Against Media Intrusion
For Prince Harry, this trial is the latest in a series of legal actions against newspaper groups. In 2023, he was awarded £140,600 in damages from Mirror Group Newspapers. Last year, he also settled a claim with News Group Newspapers, the publisher of The Sun, which saw the company apologise for "serious intrusion" and admit to unlawful activities by private investigators between 1996 and 2011.
The Duke is scheduled to give his own evidence in the current case later this week. The trial at the Royal Courts of Justice began on Monday with opening arguments from the claimants' legal team, setting the stage for a closely watched confrontation between some of the UK's most famous faces and one of its most powerful media publishers.
