Prince Harry’s legal showdown with a British tabloid publisher kicks off this week, marking a significant moment in his long-standing fight against alleged press misconduct. The case centers on claims that Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers (NGN) used unlawful tactics to gather information about the Duke of Sussex more than a decade ago.
This lawsuit is one of several the 40-year-old prince has launched against UK tabloids. It follows his victory last year in a phone hacking case against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN).
However, the current case doesn’t include phone hacking allegations. A judge previously ruled Harry missed the deadline to pursue those claims. Instead, this trial focuses on accusations that private investigators hired by NGN’s tabloids—The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World—used illegal methods to generate stories.
Harry is joined in the case by Tom Watson, a former Labour Party deputy leader and current member of the House of Lords. Watson alleges his phone was hacked while investigating Murdoch-owned tabloids as an MP between 2009 and 2011.
Claims of Cover-Up
Both Harry and Watson accuse NGN of covering up their practices, claiming evidence like emails was deliberately destroyed. NGN denies all allegations, calling the claims baseless and unsupportable.
During the trial, expected to span up to 10 weeks, NGN plans to present testimony from experts, legal professionals, and executives to challenge the accusations.
This fight is deeply personal for Harry, who blames paparazzi intrusion for his mother Princess Diana’s tragic death in 1997. He has been vocal about the damage caused by media harassment, even addressing the issue in his memoir Spare.
A Historic Testimony
The Duke of Sussex is no stranger to courtrooms. In 2023, he became the first senior British royal in over a century to testify in court during his case against MGN. That trial concluded with a ruling that phone hacking was widespread in the late 1990s and that Harry’s phone had been tapped.
The prince’s legal battle with NGN comes in the wake of widespread revelations about unethical practices in British tabloids, which led to a public inquiry into press culture in the 2000s. NGN eventually shut down News of the World in 2011 after acknowledging illegal activities.
While NGN has settled over 1,300 claims and paid out roughly £1 billion in damages and legal fees, it has never faced a trial for these allegations. Critics argue that England’s legal system favors wealthy defendants, leaving claimants little choice but to settle.
A Fight for Accountability
Prince Harry, however, remains resolute. He has rejected settlements, emphasizing his pursuit of accountability over financial compensation. Speaking at a recent event, he described his battle with Murdoch’s media empire as deeply personal, calling out the 93-year-old mogul in Spare for his influence on public perception.
“I couldn’t think of anyone in history who’s done more to distort our sense of reality,” Harry wrote.
As the trial unfolds, it marks another chapter in the prince’s crusade against a media culture he views as harmful and invasive.
