It’s been over a year since Prince Harry has been back in the United Kingdom. He is currently scheduled to testify against Associated Newspapers Limited, publisher of the Daily Mail, in a lawsuit. His anticipated appearance on Thursday, January 22, marks a significant moment in his ongoing legal battles with the tabloid press. The class action lawsuit is rooted in allegations of illegal data collection and privacy violations, which Prince Harry has over the years repeatedly condemned.
On January 15, lawyers representing Prince Harry and those of Associated Newspapers appeared before a judge for a pretrial hearing. This session was largely centered around witness testimony and possible last-minute amendments to the case. The particulars examined at this hearing matter immensely as both sides gear up for their day in court.
In this most recent suit, Prince Harry is not alone. He is one of six other plaintiffs in this action against Associated Newspapers. The suit sheds light on the long-running conflict between the royal family and a number of UK tabloids. The royal family insists these outlets have long been infringing on their privacy. Importantly, this case marks Prince Harry’s last major legal showdown with separate tabloids.
Earlier in 2023, Prince Harry took the stand in a separate phone-hacking civil case filed against Mirror Group Newspapers. That previous court battle concluded with the UK’s Mirror Group coming to a settlement. Along the way, they released a public apology for their previous practice of “unlawful information gathering.” This was included in the settlement, whereby the Mirror Group agreed to pay Prince Harry’s legal fees. They then had to pay him damages of around £300,000 (almost $400,000).
Meanwhile, Prince Harry succeeded in settling a lawsuit against News Group Newspapers, the publisher of The Sun, last January. The publisher has since apologized for the “serious intrusion” into his private life from 1996 to 2011. It’s important to acknowledge, beyond the apology, that the settlement called for a meaningful financial payout.
Prince Harry today lives in California with his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and their two children Archie and Lilibet. His next return visit to the UK should attract even more close scrutiny from both supporters and critics. He was last in the UK in the autumn. This visit was his first return since leaving royal duties.
Prince Harry is preparing to go toe-to-toe with Associated Newspapers Limited in court next week. The consequences of this case are profound and extend far beyond individual complaints. Those revelations only touch upon more general concerns about privacy rights and media ethics in an era of technology.
