Prince Harry Returns to London for High-Stakes Privacy Battle Against Associated Newspapers
Prince Harry arrived at London's High Court to attend a preliminary hearing in his claim against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over allegations of unlawful information gathering.
The Duke of Sussex, along with other high-profile figures such as Elton John, Liz Hurley, Sadie Frost, David Furnish, and Doreen Lawrence, have launched legal action against the publisher of the Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday, and the Mail Online.
According to a statement from their representatives, the group claims to be "victims of abhorrent criminal activity and gross breaches of privacy."
They accuse ANL of engaging in illicit methods to obtain information on high-profile figures, including hiring private investigators to plant listening devices, record private calls, pay corrupt police officials for insider information, impersonate individuals to obtain medical records, and hack into bank accounts and financial transactions.
This four-day preliminary hearing, which began on Monday, is set to consider legal arguments and determine if the case will proceed further. ANL is attempting to have the case dismissed, rejecting the allegations as "preposterous smears" and labeling the lawsuit as a "pre-planned and orchestrated attempt to drag the Mail titles into the phone-hacking scandal," according to PA Media. An ANL spokesperson added that the claims were "unsubstantiated and highly defamatory claims, based on no credible evidence."
Prince Harry's presence in the courtroom is seen as a testament to his strong stance on privacy and determination in this legal action. The Duke of Sussex has initiated several lawsuits in recent years, including suing ANL over a story published in the Mail on Sunday about his separate legal proceedings against the UK's Home Office concerning his family's security arrangements while in Britain.
In 2019, Harry also sued the owners of UK tabloid newspapers the Sun and the Daily Mirror over alleged historical phone hacking, with the case against the Daily Mirror's publisher scheduled for trial in May.
This visit to London is believed to be Prince Harry's first trip back to the United Kingdom since attending Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in September alongside his wife, Meghan. Since then, the Sussexes have released a Netflix docu-series and the duke's memoir, which have further detailed his strained relationship with the royal family. A royal source told CNN that Harry is not expected to see his brother, the Prince of Wales, during this visit, as Prince William is not in Windsor due to the school vacation.