Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle. (Photo by DPPA/Sipa USA)
Prince Harry scored a legal victory Friday in his privacy suit against the publishers of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, with a judge greenlighting his case for trial.
The publisher, Associated Newspapers, sought to derail the case, dismissing the accusations of underhanded information gathering as stale. However, the court has cleared the path for the Duke of Sussex and six other public figures to press forward.
The claims against Associated Newspapers, robustly refuted, span serious privacy violations, including unauthorised surveillance and acquiring private data.
Alongside the royal, the litigants include musician Sir Elton John, filmmaker David Furnish, actress Elizabeth Hurley, actress Sadie Frost, former politician Sir Simon Hughes, and anti-racism campaigner Baroness Doreen Lawrence. Their allegations include bugging, phone tapping, and illicitly accessing medical and financial records.
Prince Harry, leading the charge against the UK’s tabloids, made an unexpected courtroom appearance in March. While the Daily Mail’s publishers branded the charges as ludicrous, their legal team contended they were too old for legal action. However, Prince Harry’s camp argued for the relevance of these grievances, citing newly emerged evidence.
The judge’s decision tees up a courtroom showdown, potentially drawing Prince Harry back to the stand. This follows his landmark testimony in a separate case against Mirror Group Newspapers, marking a rare legal foray for a senior royal. The verdict in that case remains pending.
