In a recent development that has sent ripples through the British monarchy, King Charles and Prince William are reportedly "massively irritated" by Prince Harry's ongoing legal battles. The Duke of Sussex's court proceedings have raised the prospect of more private royal family details being aired in public, according to sources close to the royals.
Prince Harry's phone hacking case against News Group Newspapers, the parent publisher of The Sun, was partially dismissed by a judge on Thursday. Despite this setback, the court has permitted Harry to proceed with a trial against The Sun, where he alleges the newspaper engaged in illegal practices to gather information about him.
While King Charles acknowledges that Harry is now a private citizen and can conduct his affairs independently, the monarch is reportedly displeased with the extent of information Harry has shared in court. An insider told The Daily Beast, "Everyone in the family completely accepts that Harry is a private citizen and can do what he likes without reference to the family. That doesn't mean they have to like it."
The source added that the royal family is bracing for more high-profile trials involving Harry, including a defamation case against the Daily Mail. "Their goal is just to keep plugging away and not get distracted by any of it," the source said.
In a significant ruling, Justice Timothy Fancourt dismissed Harry's claim of a "secret agreement" between Buckingham Palace and the media. This alleged pact, supposedly sanctioned by the late Queen Elizabeth, would have prevented any members of the royal family from pursuing future lawsuits against the media. News Group Newspapers, however, maintained that no such secret deal ever existed, and Harry failed to provide any evidence to support his claim.
Despite the ongoing legal drama, it is believed that King Charles is the only senior member of the royal family still in contact with Harry. The Duke of Sussex, now a father of two, traveled to London last month to testify against Mirror Group Newspapers at London's High Court. He is suing the publisher over alleged unlawful information gathering, claiming that his phone voicemails were hacked. The case was first initiated in 2019.
As the royal family navigates these turbulent waters, the world watches with bated breath, waiting to see how these legal battles will further shape the relationship between the monarchy and one of its most high-profile members.
