Prince Harry’s legal battle against the publisher of the Sun newspaper, owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, began on Tuesday at London’s High Court without Prince Harry in attendance and after several delays.
Tom Watson, a former British politician and former deputy leader of the Labor Party, stands alongside Prince Harry in a court case against News Group Newsletters (NGN), the UK arm of Murdoch-owned News Corp. It is expected that he will be the other remaining plaintiff. Lasts about 6-8 weeks.
The lawsuit alleges phone hacking and illegal intelligence gathering by journalists and private investigators who worked for The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World from 1996 to 2011. It is based on the alleged activities including the suspicion of Another issue before the court is whether he is a senior reporter. Executives knew about these activities.
“The goal is accountability. It’s really that simple,” Prince Harry said at a press event in New York in December.
NGN has previously denied any wrongdoing at The Sun and has settled lawsuits with dozens of celebrities, including Hugh Grant and Sienna Miller, for a total payout of more than $1.5 billion.
“This is a very personal battle for Prince Harry. It feels as much like a mission as it does a legal charge,” BBC royal correspondent Sean Colan explained on Tuesday. “His campaign against what he sees as tabloid intrusion and abuse is woven into his own personal story, including the connection between the death of his mother, Princess Diana, and his decision to leave Britain. Meanwhile, others have settled their lawsuits against NGN, who have persistently pursued this case and are finally ready to have their claims heard in court. ”
In fact, the trial is part of an ongoing showdown between Prince Harry and the British press. A High Court judge in London ruled in 2022 that parts of an article in the Mail on Sunday about Prince Harry’s legal claim against the Home Office constituted defamation.
