The prince's lawyer Harry asserted on Monday before the High Court in London that the British daily Daily Mail He was found to be an accomplice to widespread illegal activities, including phone hacking and other privacy breaches, involving high-ranking executives and journalists. These charges have triggered a nine-week civil trial, one of the most high-profile in the UK in recent years.
Prince Harry, the singer Elton John and five other prominent figures are suing the publisher of the Daily Mail, Associated Newspapers, for alleged offenses spanning from 1993 to 2011 and beyond. The plaintiffs believe they were victims of an illegal and persistent collection of private information, including the hacking of voicemails, the tapping of landlines and the use of deception, a practice known as "blagging".
At the start of the hearing, the plaintiffs' lawyer, David Sherborne, described a "clear, systematic, and persistent use" of illegal methods within the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday. He argued that private investigators hired by the newspaper had been used to obtain sensitive information, sometimes concerning private travel or intimate conversations.
In a written statement submitted to the court, Prince Harry said it was "disturbing" to feel that his every move was being scrutinized for the sake of sensationalist media coverage. He also addressed the impact of this intrusion on his personal and family relationships, recalling his long-standing battle against certain British tabloids, which he accuses of contributing to the climate surrounding the death of his mother, Princess Diana, in 1997.
Associated Newspapers firmly rejects these accusations, calling them "absurd calumnies" and part of a smear campaign waged by a wealthy group driven by personal hostility toward the press. The publisher maintains that its publications were not involved in the phone-hacking scandal that has rocked the British media over the past two decades and argues that legal action should have been taken sooner.
The trial will also test the credibility of testimony from former private investigators, which the publisher considers unreliable. Judge Matthew Nicklin's findings could have major financial consequences, with legal fees estimated at tens of millions of dollars, and will severely damage the reputations of the parties involved.
For Prince Harry, this case is part of a series of legal battles against the tabloid press. He has already won a case against Mirror Group Newspapers and obtained an apology from a media group linked to Rupert Murdoch. The Duke of Sussex is due to testify on Thursday, continuing what he describes as a mission to hold the media accountable for their past practices.
