LONDON (Reuters) -The trial to determine Prince Harry’s lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper group begins at the High Court in London on Tuesday with King Charles’ younger son set to appear as a witness once again.
The case is one of several Harry and his U.S. wife Meghan have brought against media organisations since 2019 in what he has described as his mission to rid the British press of senior executives and editors he accuses of abusing their power.
Here is a summary of their cases:
NEWS GROUP NEWSPAPERS – UNLAWFUL INFORMATION GATHERING
Harry is suing News Group Newspapers over alleged unlawful information gathering by journalists or private investigators working for its papers, the Sun and the defunct News of the World, from 1996 until 2011.
The High Court has ruled that Harry could not sue NGN for allegations of phone hacking, nor pursue allegations against Rupert Murdoch himself and also rejected his argument that there had been a secret deal between the publisher and senior royals. But the judge allowed most of Harry’s case to continue.
Initially Harry was one of about 40 claimants, but all the others have since settled with the exception of former Labour Party deputy leader Tom Watson.
The eight-week trial will consider the specific claims of the fifth-in-line to the throne and Watson, as well as generic allegations of wrongdoing by NGN staff, including editors and other senior figures. NGN has always denied unlawful activity at the Sun.
MIRROR GROUP NEWSPAPERS OVER PHONE HACKING
Harry won substantial damages and legal costs after he successfully sued Mirror Group Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People, for hacking his voicemails and other unlawful information gathering between 1996 and 2011.
The prince, who was one of about 100 claimants, became the first senior British royal for 130 years to appear as a witness in court during the trial in June 2023.
The High Court ruled in his favour in December 2023, agreeing that editors had known about the wrongdoing.
ASSOCIATED NEWSPAPERS – NUMEROUS ALLEGED UNLAWFUL ACTS
Seven high-profile public figures, including Harry and singer Elton John, are suing Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and MailOnline, over allegations of phone tapping and other unlawful activities.
ANL, which denies any wrongdoing, unsuccessfully tried to have the cases thrown out on the basis that they were brought too late.
The trial is due to take place in early 2026 with the legal costs in the case set to exceed 38 million pounds ($48 million).
ASSOCIATED NEWSPAPERS – LIBEL CLAIMS
Harry successfully sued ANL for libel over a 2020 Mail on Sunday article which accused him of having snubbed the Royal Marines, with ANL apologising and paying damages.
The prince launched another lawsuit against ANL in February 2022, over a Mail on Sunday article that accused him of trying to mislead the public about a separate legal battle with the government over his police protection.
He withdrew his claim in January last year, having failed to have ANL’s defence thrown out.
ASSOCIATED NEWSPAPERS – PRINTING MEGHAN’S LETTER
Meghan won a privacy claim against ANL in February 2021 after its Mail on Sunday tabloid printed extracts of a letter she had written to her estranged father in 2018. The publisher’s appeal was rejected.
THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT
As well as his cases against the press, Harry has also been involved in a High Court fight with the British government after the specialist police protection he had previously received in Britain was removed when he and Meghan stepped down from their royal duties and moved to California in 2020.
In February last year, the court ruled the decision was lawful and two months later refused him permission to challenge that decision.
However, the Court of Appeal said last June it would hear his challenge following a direct application from his lawyers. The appeal is due to be heard in April.
($1 = 0.7974 pounds)
(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Alison Williams)
