These allegations include phone hacking and deliberately misleading law enforcement and a public inquiry into media ethics held between 2011 and 2012.
Prince Harry formally launched his lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper group, News Group Newspapers (NGN), at the High Court in London on Tuesday. The case, which is based on claims of phone hacking and other illegal practices, shines a light on NGN’s activities between 1996 and 2011.
Harry, the younger son of King Charles, will testify at the trial next month.
The Duke of Sussex accuses NGN, which publishes The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World, of hiring private investigators and using unethical methods to gather information. These allegations include phone hacking and deliberately misleading law enforcement and a public inquiry into media ethics held between 2011 and 2012.
Prince Harry stated that his primary goal is accountability. “One of the main reasons for seeing this through is accountability because I’m the last person that can achieve that,” he said during the New York Times Dealbook Summit.
The case, lasting for eight weeks, will tackle some generic issues involving the practices of NGN concerning the hacking of phone messages, evidence destruction, and high-ranking officers participating in unlawful practices. Prince Harry and former deputy leader of the Labour Party Tom Watson will also analyze special cases.
He will be one of two senior British royals to appear in court as a witness since 2023, and the prince will testify for two days. Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown is expected to testify.
NGN’s spokesperson has denied the allegations saying, “His claim will be fully defended, including because it is brought out of time.” NGN has also dismissed the claims that they destroyed evidence and targeted Watson with phone hacking.
Harry’s legal battles with the British press date back to 2018 when he married Meghan Markle. He has consistently voiced his grievances against media intrusion, harassment, and the role tabloids played in his decision to step down from royal duties in 2020.
NGN had issued an unconditional apology in 2011 over phone hacking by News of the World, which led to its closure. Since then, the company has paid hundreds of millions in damages to over 1,300 victims of unlawful information gathering. NGN denies any wrongdoing at The Sun, which Rebekah Brooks, now head of News Corp’s British operations, edited.
This is the first trial examining specific allegations against The Sun and happens at a time when NGN continues to defend its practices. Harry has already won substantial damages in a different case against Mirror Group Newspapers.
The implications of this judgment could be a significant blow for NGN as it may unveil new vulnerabilities while renewing public scrutiny of media practices in the UK.
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