Prince Harry – latest news: Royals kept duke ‘out of the loop’ on phone-hacking fears
Prince Harry was “kept out of the loop” on alleged phone-hacking by tabloid newspapers, the High Court was told on the second day of a hearing for claims of illegal information gathering against the publisher of The Sun.
The duke understands that the royal household dealt with fears that his voicemail messages had been intercepted while he was serving in Afghanistan, failing to update him with all the information and allegations, David Sherborne, representing Harry, told the court.
Mr Sherborne was countering the claim of Anthony Hudson KC, for News Group Newspapers (NGN) that Harry was “at the epicentre” of hacking claims as far back as 2006. The duke’s lawyer said Harry was only aware of one claim before 2012.
Harry said in a statement that Prince William “appeared to know an awful lot more” than his younger brother about the claims.
Lawyers for News Group Newspapers claim there is no hard evidence against The Sun but only “general pleas” of voicemail interception and phone tapping.
Earlier, lawyers for the duke said actor Hugh Grant will tomorrow give evidence in the case.
Royals news – latest updates
Prince Harry ‘kept out of the loop’ on alleged phone-hacking
Hugh Grant to give evidence tomorrrow
King ‘tried to stop Harry taking legal action'
Prince Harry says tabloid press was always ‘third party’ in his relationships
Murdoch firm secretly paid Prince William phone-hacking settlement, court hears
Prince Harry ‘kept out of the loop’ on alleged phone-hacking
Wednesday 26 April 2023 15:48 , Liam James
The Duke of Sussex was “kept out of the loop” regarding alleged unlawful information gathering by tabloid newspapers in relation to the royal household, the High Court has heard.
David Sherborne, representing Harry, told the court on Wednesday that, before 2012, the duke believed there was only one voicemail which his brother left for him that had been intercepted.
The barrister said Harry thought the tabloid press “wouldn’t have been stupid enough to go after his messages, given the security services’ involvement”, and that there were members of royal staff who he was aware believed they had been hacked but he was “kept out of the loop”.
“He was told more in 2012 but that was essentially dealt with by his family, the institution as he described it.
“That is no criticism of the [late] Queen or his family, that is how it was done and he accepted it.
“One also has to remember at the times he was on active service in Afghanistan.”
Lawyers for the publisher claim there is no hard evidence against the paper but only “general pleas” of voicemail interception and phone tapping by Sun journalists.
ICYMI: Duke of Sussex hacking claim against tabloid publisher laid bare at High Court
09:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar
In a 31-page witness statement prepared by the duke for the hearing, which began just 11 days before his father’s coronation, Harry made a series of allegations, including that:
– The Prince of Wales settled a claim with NGN over hacking claims in 2020.
– He could not bring his own claim sooner than 2019 because of the “secret agreement” between the royal institution and senior NGN executives.
– The late Queen supported Harry’s bid for an apology from NGN proprietor Rupert Murdoch, but his efforts were blocked by Charles’ staff.
– He was subjected to high levels of intrusion and harassment by NGN, which affected “every area of his life”.
– His mother Diana would “probably still be alive today” had she agreed to have police protection after her divorce from the now-King, but “unlawful activity including phone tapping/hacking made her distrust her protection officers as she thought they were leaking private information about her”.
Duke of Sussex hacking claim against tabloid publisher laid bare at High Court
Watch: Four things we’ve learnt so far from Prince Harry’s High Court trial with The Sun’s publishers
08:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar
The Duke of Sussex is currently involved in a legal battle with Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers (NGN), the publisher of The Sun.
Prince Harry alleges that the billionaire’s titles engaged in overwhelming press intrusion, including phone hacking.
Among the revelations that have emerged from the court filings is that the Prince of Wales received a secret settlement payment from NGN over phone hacking, and that the late Queen was allegedly aware and had signed off these payments.
It was also revealed that Harry tried to block journalists from attending his and Meghan Markle’s wedding.
Four things we’ve learnt in Prince Harry’s trial with The Sun’s publishers
Prince Harry’s shining Buckingham Palace balcony moment resurfaces amid coronation
08:24 , Matt Mathers
A video capturing Prince Harry’s “charming” debut on the Buckingham Palace balcony has resurfaced amidst news that only working royals will appear on the Palace balcony for King Charles III’s coronation.
In 1987, a two-year-old Prince Harry warmed hearts when he made his first-ever appearance on the balcony at Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour celebrations. Now, a TikTok video of the archival footage has gone viral with more than two million views since it was posted last week.
Meredith Clark reports:
Prince Harry’s shining Buckingham Palace balcony moment resurfaces amid coronation
Queen supported Harry’s bid for apology from Rupert Murdoch, High Court hears
08:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar
The late Queen backed the Duke of Sussex’s bid for an apology from media mogul Rupert Murdoch, but his efforts were blocked by Charles’ staff, the High Court has heard.
Harry is suing News Group Newspapers (NGN), publisher of The Sun and the now-defunct News Of The World, over alleged unlawful information gathering at its titles.
However, NGN is asking Mr Justice Fancourt to throw out his claim – along with a claim brought by actor Hugh Grant – arguing they have been brought too late.
While NGN has settled numerous hacking claims in relation to the News Of The World, the publisher denies illegal activity at The Sun.
In a witness statement made public on Tuesday, Harry described how in late 2017, he wanted to “push for a resolution” over alleged phone hacking and get an apology from News Corp owner Mr Murdoch before his wedding to the Duchess of Sussex.
Queen backed Harry’s bid for apology from Rupert Murdoch, High Court hears
Harry ‘kept out of the loop’ on phone hacking claims as Hugh Grant to appear in court
07:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Prince Harry was “kept out of the loop” over alleged phone hacking by tabloids in relation to the royal household, the High Court has heard.
The Duke of Sussex is suing News Group Newspapers (NGN) over alleged unlawful information gathering at two of its titles, The Sun and the now-defunct News Of The World – claiming that his private information was unlawfully accessed.
NGN is bringing a bid to have Harry’s case thrown out, along with a similar claim by actor Hugh Grant, at a three-day hearing in London which started on Tuesday, arguing they have been brought too late.
But, responding to the publisher’s strike out application, Harry’s lawyers said it is an attempt to go behind a “secret agreement” between the royal family as an institution and NGN, which the duke was informed of in 2012.
David Sherborne, representing Harry, told the court on Wednesday that, before 2012, the duke believed there was only one voicemail which his brother the Prince of Wales left for him that had been intercepted.
Harry ‘kept out of the loop’ on phone hacking claims as Hugh Grant to appear in court
Piers Morgan ‘knew’ about illegal targeting of Princess Diana and encouraged it - Harry
07:35 , Matt Mathers
Piers Morgan “knew about, encouraged and concealed” the illegal targeting of Dianna, Princess of Wales while he was editor at The News of the World, Prince Harry has claimed.
The Duke of Sussex made the claim in court documents submitted to the High Court in London in his alleged phone-hacking case against Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers.
Actor Hugh Grant is due to attend a hearing on Thursday.
Who are the alleged victims of phone hacking and what payouts did they receive?
06:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar
The allegation that a “secret agreement” was reached between the royal family and the publisher of The Sun to prevent William and Harry from bringing phone hacking claims has shone a spotlight on an unsavoury chapter in British media history.
The claim was made at the High Court by the Duke of Sussex, who is suing News Group Newspapers (NGN), the owners of The Sun and now defunct News of the World, over alleged unlawful information gathering at its titles.
On Tuesday, NGN made a bid for a judge to throw out the case, as well as a similar claim brought by actor Hugh Grant.
Harry’s lawyers said the bid is an attempt to go behind a “secret agreement” between the royal family as an institution and NGN – or its parent companies News UK and News Corp – which the duke was informed of in 2012. NGN denies there was an agreement.
Read the full story here:
Who are the victims of phone hacking and what payouts did they receive?
Harry ‘kept out of the loop’ on phone hacking claims
06:15 , Liam James
Prince Harry was “kept out of the loop” over alleged phone hacking by tabloids in relation to the royal household, the High Court has heard (Thomas Kingsley writes).
The Duke of Sussex is suing News Group Newspapers (NGN) over alleged unlawful information gathering at two of its titles, The Sun and the now-defunct News Of The World – claiming that his private information was unlawfully accessed.
NGN is bringing a bid to have Harry’s case thrown out, along with a similar claim by actor Hugh Grant, at a three-day hearing in London which started on Tuesday, arguing they have been brought too late.
Click here for the full report on yesterday’s proceedings:
Harry ‘kept out of the loop’ on phone hacking claims as Hugh Grant to appear in court
From her ‘naughty’ ex-husband to trusted companions – who’s who in Camilla’s inner circle?
05:45 , Liam James
Charles and Camilla have long-surrounded themselves with a tight-knit social set, but now, more than ever, she will be relying on her most trusted confidantes ahead of the ceremony on Saturday 6 May.
Charlotte Cripps gets familiar with the court of Queen Camilla:
Who’s who in Camilla’s inner circle?
Queen supported Harry’s bid for apology from Rupert Murdoch, court hears
05:15 , Liam James
The late Queen backed the Duke of Sussex’s bid for an apology from media mogul Rupert Murdoch, but his efforts were blocked by Charles’ staff, the High Court has heard.
In a witness statement made public on Tuesday, Harry described how in late 2017, he wanted to “push for a resolution” over alleged phone hacking and get an apology from News Corp owner Mr Murdoch before his wedding to the Duchess of Sussex.
Click here for the full story:
Queen backed Harry’s bid for apology from Rupert Murdoch, High Court hears
Princess Diana’s former butler claims Harry will receive icy reception at coronation
04:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Princess Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell said Prince Harry will be seated “10 rows back” at King Charles III’s coronation and won’t “even see” Charles or his brother Prince William during the event.
“He’s coming to show face,” Mr Burrell told GB News. “He’s coming to put his foot in the door. He’s coming because his father wants him to be there.”
Mr Burrell continued, “His father would be delighted that both his sons witnessed this incredible day of his life. But he’s not going to hang around because, let’s face it, he’s pushed his family under the bus, and he doesn’t want to spend much time around them.
“So I don’t think there’s any chance of a reconciliation anytime soon,” he added. “I honestly think that he’s going to get a very icy reception from the Windsors in Westminster Abbey.
“He’s going to be sitting 10 rows back. He’s not even going to see his brother or his father during that time,” Mr Burrell claimed. “He will be literally in and out in a flash. And don’t forget, he did the same to our dear late queen. At the Platinum Jubilee, he was in and out in a flash. She didn’t even know he had gone.”
ICYMI: Prince William paid ‘very large sum’ by Murdoch firm over phone-hacking
04:16 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Prince William was paid a “very large sum of money” by Rupert Murdoch’s UK newspaper business to settle a phone-hacking claim, the High Court has heard.
The Prince of Wales allegedly received the secret payment after bringing a case against News Group Newspapers (NGN), the owners of The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World.
Details of the settlement, which William allegedly received in 2020, were revealed on Tuesday in court documents submitted by William’s brother, Prince Harry, who is suing NGN over alleged unlawful information-gathering at its titles.
David Sherborne, representing Harry, also disclosed that there had been an earlier “secret agreement”, approved by the Queen, that the royal family would not pursue claims against the publisher until the conclusion of a series of phone-hacking cases.
Prince Harry wants to reform the press, but he should focus on the monarchy | Voices
04:00 , Liam James
Sean O’Grady’s take on Prince Harry’s latest media circus:
For a man who prefers the media to keep out of his life, Prince Harry certainly seems to be doing a poor job of keeping his head down.
He is, if you haven’t noticed, conducting a campaign to reform the British press; and he is inevitably going to fail. Indeed, his current legal cases against the respective publishers of the Sun, Mail and Mirror only serve to furnish them with more material, more headlines, more dramatic pictures and more sensationalism.
He is in fact a walking, talking story generator. Who needs hacking when Harry’s ready to reveal the most intimate of secrets?
Full piece can be found here:
Harry wants to reform the press, but he should focus on the monarchy | Sean O’Grady
Allegations of ‘suspicious’ articles in Duke of Sussex statement
02:00 , Liam James
The Duke of Sussex put forward a number of “suspicious” articles in The Sun in a witness statement made as part of his claim against the newspaper’s publisher News Group Newspapers (NGN) over allegations of hacking.
He said in the statement: “Given that NGN still to this day denies that unlawful activity ever took place at The Sun, I just wanted to highlight several articles published in The Sun that I feel particularly strongly about and which demonstrate the kind of unlawful activities which I have only discovered through being able to pursue my own claim.”
He said these included 17 allegedly suspicious articles concerning his mother – Diana, Princess of Wales – and claimed private pager messages between her and art dealer Oliver Hoare were accessed by The Sun, as well as references to trips and holidays she would be going on with him and William.
Full details can be found here:
Allegations of ‘suspicious’ articles in Duke of Sussex statement
Prince Harry ‘not criticising’ late Queen over ‘secret agreement'
01:00 , Liam James
Prince Harry is not criticising his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth, over a “secret agreement” with Rupert Murdoch’s UK newspaper arm, his lawyer told London’s High Court on Wednesday.
The duke has countered claims by the media mogul’s News Groups Newspapers (NGN) that he had waited too long to bring a case by arguing he did not bring a lawsuit earlier because an agreement was struck between Buckingham Palace and senior figures at NGN to avoid embarrassment.
In a witness statement which was made public on Tuesday, Harry said his attempts to progress the case, with the backing of the queen, were stonewalled by NGN and royal aides.
The duke’s lawyer David Sherborne said Harry was “told more” about phone hacking in 2012, when Harry says in his witness statement that he was told his voicemails had been intercepted, “but that was essentially dealt with by his family ... and their solicitor”.
“This is no criticism of the queen or his family,” Mr Sherborne said. “That is how it was done and he accepts it. As he explains, he had to.”
King Charles ‘tried to stop Harry taking legal action’
Thursday 27 April 2023 00:00 , Liam James
King Charles tried to stop his son Prince Harry taking legal action against the publisher of The Sun, according to court documents.
“I was summoned to Buckingham Palace and specifically told to drop the legal actions because they have an ‘effect on all the family’,” the duke said.
“This was a direct request (or rather demand) from my father, Edward Young and my father’s private secretary, Clive Alderton.”
Hugh Grant to give evidence tomorrow
Wednesday 26 April 2023 23:00 , Liam James
Hugh Grant will appear in court tomorrow to give evidence for his phone-hacking claim against News Group Newspapers (NGN), the High Court heard.
The actor alleges that journalists at The Sun illegally accessed his personal information.
He previously settled with the paper’s parent company over a phone-hacking claim against The Sun’s former sister paper the News of the World – but unlike many hacking complainants against NGN, he did not agree to waive any future claims againstThe Sun as part of his settlement.
Rebekah Brooks and other Murdoch favourites would have to play in trial, says lawyer
Wednesday 26 April 2023 22:00 , Liam James
Major players in Rupert Murdoch’s media empire will need to give evidence if Prince Harry’s phone-hacking claims go to trial, a lawyer for the Duke of Sussex said.
Harry said in his witness statement that royal staff were in communication with Rebekah Brooks – now chief executive of Murdoch’s British arm News UK – and News Corp chief executive Robert Thomson about his lawsuit.
David Sherborne said that, if the case goes to trial, “there will need to be evidence” from Ms Brooks and Mr Thomson about the secret agreement.
Ms Brooks was editor of The Sun from 2003-2009, when phone-hacking is alleged to have taken place. She has always denied knowledge of phone-hacking and was found not guilty in 2014 of involvement following a criminal trial. Mr Thomson has been CEO of News Corp since 2013.
Diana targeted by News Group phone hackers too, claims lawyer
Wednesday 26 April 2023 20:37 , Liam James
Prince Harry’s lawyer also alleged that the duke’s mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, had her calls and messages intercepted by News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun.
He claimed that articles taken from 1994 and 1995 demonstrated that NGN journalists and paparazzi working on their behalf “had inside knowledge” of where Diana was going to be.
The barrister continued: “The claimant will rely on the fact that the defendant’s newspapers described his late mother’s concerns as ‘paranoid delusions’ when the true position was that she was under close surveillance and her calls were being unlawfully intercepted by the defendant, which was known about by its editors and senior executives.”
Charles and Camilla were victims of Sun phone-hacking, court hears
Wednesday 26 April 2023 19:30 , Liam James
The phone calls of the King and Queen Consort were intercepted by the publisher of The Sun in the 1990s, the Duke of Sussex has alleged in his High Court claim against News Group Newspapers (NGN).
In documents made public on Wednesday, barrister David Sherborne, for Harry, alleged that NGN was intercepting phone calls and messages, as well as obtaining itemised phone bills of Charles and Camilla.
Mr Sherborne said: “The claimant will rely on these instances in support of the contention that the inevitable and/or intended consequence of these interceptions is that his own private information will have been intercepted as a result since his father was communicating or receiving private information about the claimant’s education, health and welfare.”
Articles allegedly published as a result between 1994 and 1995 include stories in The Sun from August 1995 with the headline “Heir to the Phone” and “The Midnight Caller”.
Who are the alleged victims of phone hacking and what payouts did they receive?
Wednesday 26 April 2023 18:20 , Liam James
Steve Coogan, Paul Gascoine, Sienna Miller, Sadie Frost and more were all given money by Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers over phone-hacking claims.
Click here to learn more about what happened in their cases:
Who are the victims of phone hacking and what payouts did they receive?
Recap: Prince William’s ‘secret settlement’ with Murdoch firm
Wednesday 26 April 2023 17:11 , Liam James
The Prince of Wales allegedly reached a settlement with publisher News Group Newspapers over phone-hacking claims, the High Court was told on the first day of a hearing of the Duke of Sussex’s illegal information gathering case against Rupert Murdoch’s firm.
Details of the settlement, which William allegedly received in 2020, were revealed on Tuesday in court documents submitted by Harry.
David Sherborne, representing Harry, also disclosed that there had been an earlier “secret agreement”, approved by the Queen, that the royal family would not pursue claims against the publisher until the conclusion of a series of phone-hacking cases.
Mr Sherborne said in written arguments that the agreement “meant that the claimant could not bring a claim against NGN for phone hacking at that time”.
He added: “It was agreed directly between these parties, as opposed to their lawyers ... that at the conclusion of the Mobile Telephone Voicemail Interception Litigation (MTVIL) News would admit or settle such a claim with an apology.
“In 2017, the claimant and the institution began to push for the outstanding claim to be resolved.
“However, News filibustered in relation to this until, in 2019, the claimant had enough and issued his claim.”
Mr Sherborne said William has “recently settled his claim against NGN behind the scenes”.
Joe Middleton covered the first day of the hearing in full:
Prince William paid ‘very large sum’ by Murdoch firm over phone-hacking
Hearing resumes
Wednesday 26 April 2023 14:30 , Matt Mathers
The hearing has resumed after lunch and Prince Harry’s legal team led by David Sherborne, is now bringing a counter argument against claims Hugh Grant knew of phone hacking claims but failed to bring the claim forward earlier.
Hugh Grant to appear in court tomorrrow
Wednesday 26 April 2023 13:14 , Matt Mathers
The lawyer representing Prince Harry and fellow claimants, David Sherborne, is now arguing why he believes The Sun’s application to have the claims thrown out should be denied, Thomas Kingsley reports.
He said that Hugh Grant is watching along by live link and will be in court tomorrow (Thursday).
He added that the Duke of Sussex extended his apologies for not attending but is also following by live link.
ICYMI: Piers Morgan criticises Harry for attending King Charles’ coronation: ‘The brass neck’
Wednesday 26 April 2023 12:30 , Matt Mathers
Piers Morgan has hit out at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their decision over King Charles III’s coronation on 6 May.
The Piers Morgan Uncensored host, who previously branded the couple “shameless grifters”, took aim once again after Buckingham Palace confirmed Prince Harry would attend the coronation but Meghan Markle would not.
Kate Ng reports:
Piers Morgan criticises Harry for attending King Charles’ coronation
Prince William ‘has no interest’ in speaking to Prince Harry before King’s coronation
Wednesday 26 April 2023 12:03 , Matt Mathers
Prince William reportedly has “no interest” in speaking to Prince Harry before King Charles and Camilla’s coronation next month.
The Duke of Sussex wrote about their fraught relationship in his memoir Spare, which was released in January this year.
Harry alleged that William once “knocked me to the floor” during an argument about Meghan in 2019.
Prince William ‘has no interest’ in speaking to Prince Harry before King’s coronation
No hard evidence of phone-hacking - defenence
Wednesday 26 April 2023 10:57 , Matt Mathers
The court is still going through claims against The Sun, Thomas Kingsley reports. Lawyers for the publisher claim there is no hard evidence against the paper but only “general pleas” of voicemail interception and phone tapping by Sun journalists.
Lawyers claim the allegations brought the Duke of Sussex and the other claimants may point to “illegal activity” on the part of private investigators but not The Sun newspaper, with the defence denying any commissioning of investigators.
Hearing underway
Wednesday 26 April 2023 10:40 , Matt Mathers
The hearing is underway, the legal team representing The Sun have begun this morning with a recap of the Duke’s claims against the publisher, Thomas Kingsley reports.
Yesterday the court heard of Prince William’s private settlement with The Sun in 2020 in addition to Prince Harry’s efforts to block journalists from attending his wedding in 2018.
King tried to stop Harry taking legal action
Wednesday 26 April 2023 09:54 , Matt Mathers
King Charles tried to stop his son Prince Harry taking legal action against the publisher of The Sun, according to court documents.
"I was summoned to Buckingham Palace and specifically told to drop the legal actions because they have an ‘effect on all the family’," Prince Harry said.
"This was a direct request (or rather demand) from my father, Edward Young and my father’s private secretary, Clive Alderton."
Harry makes Meghan giggle as couple appear on Jumborton at Lakers game
Wednesday 26 April 2023 07:35 , Matt Mathers
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were spotted on a date night in Los Angeles on Monday night, as Prince Harry prepares to attend his father’s coronation in less than two weeks.
Harry and Meghan Markle were broadcast on the Crypto.com Arena’s Jumbotron during the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
A clip of the couple shared on social media showed Meghan giggling as Harry appears to lean towards her for a kiss.
Kate Ng reports:
Meghan appears to dodge Harry’s advances as couple appear on Jumbotron at Lakers game
Queen ‘backed’ my bid to seek apology from Rupert Murdoch, says Prince Harry
Wednesday 26 April 2023 06:58 , PA
The High Court has been told that the late Queen backed the Duke of Sussex’s bid for an apology from media mogul Rupert Murdoch but were blocked by Charles’ staff, reports Jess Glass.
Prince Harry is suing News Group Newspapers (NGN) over alleged unlawful information gathering at its titles. In his written statement, the duke said he was angry about “appalling treatment” his wife had faced from Murdoch-owned newspapers and was “frustrated” about a lack of progress on phone hacking.
Harry said his brother, the Prince of Wales, was “very understanding and supportive and agreed that we needed to do it” and “suggested that I seek permission from ‘granny”’ - the late Queen.
The duke continued: “I spoke to her shortly afterwards and said something along the lines of: ‘Are you happy for me to push this forward, do I have your permission?’ And she said: ‘Yes.”’
Harry said the Queen’s then-director of communications Sally Osman was then “given the green light to approach senior executives at NGN on behalf of the institution, Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, William and me, to broker a resolution and an apology from Mr Murdoch”.
However, Harry claimed that there was “very little support” from the Queen’s private secretary, as well as staff from Buckingham Palace and Clarence House “despite my grandmother having given her consent”.
Who is in line for the British throne?
Wednesday 26 April 2023 05:49 , Andy Gregory
When Queen Elizabeth II died last year, Britain bid goodbye to its longest-reigning monarch.
In Elizabeth’s 70 years on the throne, the British line of succession has seen many changes and following the Queen’s death, her son King Charles III was the next royal to ascend to the throne.
The royal line of succession has decided who will be the next king or queen of Great Britain for hundreds of years, and now with new generation of royals, there is a now long list of people who could be our next monarch.
Furvah Shah takes a look in this explainer:
Who is in line for the British throne?
Full report: Prince William paid ‘very large sum’ by Murdoch firm over phone-hacking
Wednesday 26 April 2023 04:38 , Andy Gregory
Prince William was paid a “very large sum of money” by Rupert Murdoch’s UK newspaper business to settle a phone-hacking claim, the High Court has heard.
The Prince of Wales allegedly received the secret payment after bringing a case against News Group Newspapers (NGN), the owners of The Sun and the now defunct News of the World.
My colleague Joe Middleton has the full report here:
Prince William paid ‘very large sum’ by Murdoch firm over phone-hacking
Watch: The King’s Troop rehearse ahead of coronation on 6 May
Wednesday 26 April 2023 03:29 , Andy Gregory
What other legal action is Prince Harry taking?
Wednesday 26 April 2023 02:21 , Andy Gregory
The claim against the Sun publisher is one of a number of legal actions currently being brought by Prince Harry, who appeared in person at the High Court last month for a preliminary hearing against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail On Sunday.
He is also expected to give evidence at a trial over allegations of unlawful information against tabloid publisher Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), due to begin next month, with Harry due to appear in court in June.
What is the purpose of this week’s hearing?
Wednesday 26 April 2023 01:06 , Andy Gregory
This week’s hearing in the case against Sun publisher News Group Newspapers is expected to last three days.
The judge is determining whether the claims by Prince Harry and actor Hugh Grant should progress to a trial.
If it goes ahead, the trial is due to be heard in January next year.
Who are the key players at King Charles’ coronation?
Tuesday 25 April 2023 23:58 , Andy Gregory
‘I almost missed the email to bake Harry and Meghan’s wedding cake’
Tuesday 25 April 2023 22:49 , Andy Gregory
Baker Claire Ptak has told The Independent of how she nearly missed out on the biggest job of her career: making the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding cake.
Prudence Wade has the interview here:
‘I almost missed the email to bake Harry and Meghan’s wedding cake’
Four things we’ve learnt so far from Prince Harry’s court battle with Sun publisher
Tuesday 25 April 2023 21:41 , Andy Gregory
Move to America was ‘in large part’ due to British press, says Prince Harry
Tuesday 25 April 2023 20:36 , Andy Gregory
Prince Harry has said he and his wife Meghan Markle’s decision to move to America was “in large part” due to intrusion by the British press.
In a wide-ranging 31-page witness statement, Harry made a number of serious allegations against journalists and senior executives at News Group Newspapers, as well as against the wider UK tabloid industry.
His move to the US was “in large part ... due to the constant intrusion, inciting of hatred and harassment by the UK tabloid press into every aspect of our private lives”, he said, adding that the impact on their mental health and wellbeing had been “devastating”.
“We were also very concerned for the security and safety of our son, as well as ourselves,” said the duke. “It is no secret that I have had, and continue to have, a very difficult relationship with the tabloid press in the UK.”
Why is Harry suing the Sun publisher?
Tuesday 25 April 2023 19:31 , Andy Gregory
Harry, 38, is suing the publisher over alleged unlawful information gathering at The Sun and the now-defunct News Of The World, claiming that his private information was unlawfully accessed from as early as 1994 to as late as 2016.
While News Group Newspapers has settled numerous hacking claims in relation to the News Of The World, the publisher denies illegal activity at The Sun.
Lawyers for the publisher have launched a bid to have Harry’s claim thrown out, along with a similar claim by actor Hugh Grant, on the basis that they have been brought too late.
Harry wanted to block journalists from wedding to ‘force an apology’ from Murdoch
Tuesday 25 April 2023 18:35 , Andy Gregory
Prince Harry wanted to “force an apology from [Rupert] Murdoch” for phone-hacking by blocking journalists from his wedding to Meghan Markle, according to his court submissions.
The Duke of Sussex claims a “secret agreement” was struck between the Royal Family and Sun publisher News Group Newspapers in 2012, blocking him from pursuing a legal claim until all other Royal litigation against the company was over, at which point “the claims would be admitted or settled with an apology”.
Three months before his wedding in 2018, the duke asked an official for the “latest on the phone hacking”, adding: “They are running out of time.”
According to the Evening Standard, he told the official in a second message: “The institution is supposed to be leading on this and is being made to look ineffective and weak. I can’t begin to tell you what it will say about the institution if this isn’t resolved before the baby arrival and wedding.
“If it isn’t resolved, should the Queen be allowing them to Windsor on May 19th? They have NO excuse for not getting this sorted. We all want to draw a line under this but judging by their behaviour thus far, they will pay whatever they can to keep this out of court when it comes to other victims. There needs to be an ultimatum otherwise this institution and everything it stands for becomes a laughing stock.”
Prince Harry says he is ‘much more interesting’ to tabloids when he is single
Tuesday 25 April 2023 17:21 , Andy Gregory
Describing the press as “a third party” in all of his relationships, Prince Harry said he felt the tabloids wanted him to remain single as he was “much more interesting to them”, and said their reporting more recently has been “even more sinister and dangerous because of race”.
“Whilst they would, of course, report on my successes in life, it seemed to me that they took far greater pleasure in knocking me down, time and time again. This extended to my relationships,” he said in court documents.
“I always felt as if the tabloids wanted me to be single, as I was much more interesting to them and sold more newspapers.
“Whenever I got into a relationship, they were very keen to report the details but would then, very quickly, seek to try and break it up by putting as much strain on it and creating as much distrust as humanly possible.
“This twisted objective is still pursued to this day, even though I’m now married. The methods relied on of late being even more sinister and dangerous because of race.”
Prince Harry saw James Murdoch as ‘kindred spirit of sorts’
Tuesday 25 April 2023 16:18 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Prince Harry‘s witness statement in the British royal’s legal battle with Rupert Murdoch’s UK newspaper arm News Group Newspapers (NGN) contains broadsides against the tabloid press and revelations about his family.
The younger son of King Charles is suing the newspaper group at the High Court in London for multiple unlawful acts allegedly committed on behalf of its tabloids, the Sun and now-defunct News of the World, from the mid-1990s until 2016.
NGN is seeking to strike out the claims by arguing the prince should have taken action sooner. It also denies anyone from the Sun was involved in any unlawful activity.
Below are the key points in Harry‘s witness statement, which was released to the media on Tuesday:
The Queen
Harry said that he spoke to his brother Prince William in 2017 about pursuing their phone-hacking claims against NGN to try and “force an apology from Murdoch”.
“William was very understanding and supportive and agreed that we needed to do it,” Harry said. “He therefore suggested that I seek permission from ‘granny’.
“I spoke to (the late Queen Elizabeth) shortly afterwards and said something along the lines of ‘are you happy for me to push this forward, do I have your permission?’ and she said ‘yes’.”
King Charles III
Harry said that royal staff did not support his efforts and that, after he sued NGN and fellow newspaper publisher Mirror Group Newspaper in 2019, he was “summoned to Buckingham Palace and specifically told to drop the legal actions”.
He said the “demand” to abandon the lawsuits came from his father King Charles and senior royal staff.
Prince William
Harry claimed that his brother Prince William - who he said settled his claim against NGN for “a huge sum of money” in 2020, seemingly for going “quietly” - “appeared to know an awful lot more than I did on the subject of phone hacking”.
Meghan Markle
Harry said Meghan, whom he married in 2018, suffered “a huge amount of harassment, intimidation and racist and sexist abuse at the hands of the tabloid press” from early in their relationship.
He spoke of his anger that “the main culprits of this abuse” were to be invited to their wedding, and told William he wanted “a formal apology from Murdoch before any of his people are allowed anywhere near the wedding”.
Harry also said he brought his own lawsuits in part so Meghan was not “on her own” while she was suing publisher Associated Newspapers in a separate case.
James Murdoch
Harry revealed that he spoke to James Murdoch, Rupert’s youngest son, after suing NGN and that “having broken away from the cult that is the Murdoch dynasty, he was starting to show signs that he wanted to do things differently”.
“Given that he had broken away from his family’s history, and I was about to do the same with mine, I felt that we were kindred spirits of sorts,” he added.
The Press
Harry described the tabloid press as “the mothership of online trolling”, saying he was exposing alleged media wrongdoing “to save journalism as a profession”.
Describing allegations of widespread phone hacking and its concealment, Harry said: “This makes them criminals, not journalists, and the Fourth Estate is too important and rightly powerful to have criminals masquerading as journalists running the show. “
“They have lied under oath, perjured themselves in the process and have proven theyâÂÂre above the law. Everyone seems to be scared of them, especially politicians.”
Prince Harry says tabloid press was always ‘third party’ in his relationships
Tuesday 25 April 2023 15:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The Duke of Sussex has said he felt like the tabloid press was a “third party” in all of his relationships.
In court documents revealed on Tuesday, Harry said he always tried to be “the best partner” he could be, but “every woman has her limit”.
He said that the tabloid press always became involved in his relationships, and tried to ruin them.
“Whenever I have been in a relationship, I have always tried to be the best partner that I possibly could, but every woman has her limit,” he said in a witness statement.
“Unfortunately, they are not just in a relationship with me but with the entire tabloid press as a third party.
“At no point did I have a girlfriend or a relationship with anyone without the tabloids getting involved and ultimately ruining it, or trying to ruin it, using whatever unlawful means at their disposal.”
He claimed that the tabloid press felt like it “owned” him, despite him only being 5% funded by the taxpayer while he was a working royal.
“Despite the common misconception, I was no more than 5% funded by the taxpayer while I was a working royal in the UK, yet it felt as though the tabloid press thought that they owned me absolutely, and deserved to know everything there is to know about me, my life, my movements and the lives of those people who came into my orbit,” he said.
Harry claimed that the tabloid press cast him as a “thicko” and a “cheat”, and that he ended up “playing up” to the headlines they wrote about him.
“As a teenager and in my early twenties, I ended up feeling as though I was playing up to a lot of the headlines and stereotypes that they wanted to place upon me,” he said.
“It was a downward spiral, whereby the tabloids would constantly try and coax me, a ‘damaged’ young man, into doing something stupid that would make a good story and sell lots of newspapers. Looking back on it now, such behaviour on their part is utterly vile.”
He said that the tabloids hoped for him to undergo a “total and very public breakdown”.
“Despite them all knowing about what I was dealing with throughout the years, they kept on doubling down their efforts rather than letting up,” he said.
“That is grotesque and sadistic - and no doubt they were hoping for a total and very public breakdown.”
