Advertisement

Prince Harry news – latest: Duke of Sussex finally gets his day in court for phone-hacking case

The Duke of Sussex is due to appear at the High Court as his case against the publisher of the Daily Mirror over alleged unlawful information gathering begins.

Harry is suing Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) for damages, claiming journalists at its titles, which also include the Sunday Mirror and Sunday People, were linked to methods including phone-hacking, so-called “blagging” or gaining information by deception and use of private investigators for unlawful activities.

His claim is being heard alongside three other “representative” claims during a trial that began last month and is due to last up to seven weeks.

Harry alleges about 140 articles published between 1996 and 2010 contained information gathered using unlawful methods, and 33 of these have been selected to be considered at the trial.

MGN is contesting the claims and has either denied or not admitted each of them. The publisher also argues some of the claimants have brought their legal action too late.

The duke is due to arrive at the court in London on Monday and is due to enter the witness box on Tuesday, when he will face cross-examination from MGN’s lawyers.

Key Points

  • Harry due to give evidence in High Court case against Mirror Group Newspapers

  • ‘Simply no evidence’ for many claims, trial told

Judge ‘surprised’ Harry is a no-show today

11:08 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Duke of Sussex was expected to arrive at court on Monday but his lawyers told the court he will not appear until Tuesday, when he is due to face cross-examination from MGN’s barrister.

David Sherborne, representing the duke and the other claimants, said as the hearing began on Monday that Harry had flown to the UK from Los Angeles in the US last night, as he was celebrating his daughter Lilibet’s second birthday on Sunday.

Mr Justice Fancourt, the judge hearing the case, said he was “a little surprised” to hear the duke would not be attending court on Monday.

The judge said he gave a direction earlier in the trial that witnesses should be available the day before their evidence was due to be heard in case the legal teams’ opening speeches ran short.

Andrew Green KC, for MGN, said he wished to have at least a day and a half to cross examine the duke and was “deeply troubled” he would not be attending before Tuesday, which may lead to “wasted time” on Monday afternoon.

Prince Harry no longer arriving at High Court today

11:02 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Duke of Sussex will no longer appear at the High Court today, but instead is expected to arrive at the High Court in London tomorrow.

Prince Harry will be giving evidence in person for his case against Mirror Group Newspapers over alleged unlawful information gathering at its titles.

 (PA Wire)
(PA Wire)

10:27 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Prince Harry is due to arrive imminently at the High Court in London for his ongoing phone hacking trial. Stay tuned as we keep you updated with the latest.

‘I’ve not been called to give evidence’: What Piers Morgan has said about phone hacking accusations

09:42 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Piers Morgan has strenuously denied knowing “anything about” phone hacking at the Mirror and said he “couldn’t give a monkey’s cuss” about the High Court case brought by Prince Harry.

The Duke of Sussex and other celebrities including Coronation Street actors Nikki Sanderson and Michael Le Vell have accused Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) of unlawful information gathering, including phone hacking and the use of private investigators.

What Piers Morgan has said about phone hacking accusations

Live: Prince Harry arrives at UK court for hearing in his case against Mirror group newspapers

09:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Live: Prince Harry arrives at UK court for hearing in his case against Mirror group newspapers

Prince Harry set for witness box showdown in phone hacking trial against tabloid

08:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Duke of Sussex is due to appear in the witness box this week for a court showdown in his ongoing phone hacking battle against some members of the British press.

Prince Harry is suing Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) for damages, claiming journalists at its titles committed phone hacking and other illegal methods of obtaining personal information.

He has accused MGN’s papers, which include the Sunday Mirror and Sunday People, of so-called “blagging” or gaining information by deception and the use of private investigators for unlawful activities.

The duke has been asked to attend court on Monday in case the opening speeches finish before the end of the day, so there is a possibility he may enter the witness box on Monday afternoon. Otherwise he is expected to begin his evidence on Tuesday, when he will face cross-examination from MGN’s lawyers.

Prince Harry set for witness box showdown in phone hacking trial against tabloid

Harry to become first British royal in 130 years to give evidence in court

07:42 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Prince Harry will become the first senior British royal to give evidence in court for 130 years when he testifies this week in his lawsuit against a newspaper group he accuses of unlawful behaviour.

Harry, King Charles’ younger son, will appear in the witness box at London’s High Court as part of the case he and more than 100 other celebrities and high-profile figures have brought against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), publisher of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People.

It will be the first time a senior royal has given evidence since Edward VII testified as a witness in part of a divorce case in 1870 and 20 years later in a slander trial over a card game, both before he became king.

 (Getty)
(Getty)

A timeline of Prince Harry’s legal battles – from phone-hacking to the Home Office

07:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Duke of Sussex is due to be cross-examined in the High Court this week as hearings get under way in his case against the publisher of the Daily Mirror over the alleged unlawful gathering of information.

Prince Harry is suing Mirror Group Newspapers for damages, claiming journalists carried out or authorised phone-hacking, “blagging” or gaining information by deception and the use of private investigators for unlawful activities.

Even though he and his wife Meghan moved to California more than three years ago, he remains mired in several legal battles making their way through the British courts.

Most of the cases relate to alleged intrusion and illegality by the media – behaviour that Harry recently said he now views as his “life’s work” to curtail.

Phone-hacking and Home Office: What legal claims has Prince Harry been involved in?

What we know about Harry’s latest legal battle

07:00 , Jane Dalton

Why the duke is going to court and what the case is all about. Report by Tom Pilgrim of PA:

What we know about Prince Harry’s legal battle with Mirror Group Newspapers

King away on holiday as Harry visits London

05:00 , Jane Dalton

The King will miss his son’s visit to London as he is due to be in holiday in Romania for five days:

King Charles to miss Prince Harry’s London visit as he holidays in Romania

When Princess Anne appeared in court

03:00 , Jane Dalton

It is thought to be the first time a senior member of the royal family has personally appeared in court proceedings since 2002, when the Princess Royal pleaded guilty to a charge under the Dangerous Dogs Act after her pet bit two children in Windsor Great Park. Here’s our coverage of the case at the time:

Regina v The Princess. Defendant 2595640 is ordered to pay £500

Harry ‘hoped for apology from family'

01:00 , Jane Dalton

A month ago, Prince Harry attended the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla – but his wife Meghan Markle stayed at home in California with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

The prince arrived at Westminster Abbey alone, and was assigned to sit two rows behind his brother, and then he left alone.

The Duke of Sussex has been seeking an apology from his family, according to his television interviews in January.

Harry in the third row (Getty Images)
Harry in the third row (Getty Images)

Girlfriend article ‘obtained legitimately'

Monday 5 June 2023 00:01 , Jane Dalton

A 2004 Daily Mirror article about the Duke of Sussex’s then-girlfriend Chelsy Davy was “obtained legitimately”, a former journalist and news editor has told the High Court:

Former Mirror journalist says story on Harry’s ex Chelsy Davy ‘obtained legally’

The 33 articles at the heart of the case

Sunday 4 June 2023 23:00 , Jane Dalton

Some 33 articles, dated between 1996 and 2009, have been selected for examination during the trial of Harry’s contested claim against MGN.

The company has told the trial in London that it denies that 28 out of the 33 articles involved unlawful information gathering and that it was not admitted for the remaining five articles.

The publisher claims the stories came from a range of sources, including information disclosed by royal households or other royals, freelance journalists and news agencies as well as confidential sources with “extensive” royal contacts.

These are the 33 articles:

The newspaper articles the Duke of Sussex claims involved unlawful activity

Duke’s other battles

Sunday 4 June 2023 21:00 , Jane Dalton

The duke is no stranger to fighting legal cases. Here are his other battles:

What to know as Prince Harry prepares to take on a British tabloid publisher in court

Three other test cases to be considered

Sunday 4 June 2023 19:10 , Jane Dalton

Harry’s case, alongside those of former Coronation Street actress Nikki Sanderson, actor Michael Turner - known professionally as Michael Le Vell - and comedian Paul Whitehouse’s ex-wife Fiona Wightman are being considered as “test cases”.

MGN is contesting the claims over allegations its journalists were linked to voicemail interception, securing information through deception and hiring private investigators for unlawful activities.

The publisher says board members have denied knowledge of such activities and claims there is “no evidence, or no sufficient evidence, of voicemail interception” in any of the four claims chosen as “representative” cases.

Harry is due to enter the witness box this week as the trial focuses on his individual case.

Nikki Sanderson (Getty Images)
Nikki Sanderson (Getty Images)

Prince’s other legal battles

Sunday 4 June 2023 18:30 , Jane Dalton

Prince Harry’s other civil litigation claims include challenges to the government over his security, libel accusations against The Mail on Sunday and allegations of unlawful information gathering against Associated Newspapers Limited:

What is happening with Harry’s six High Court claims?

‘Simply no evidence’ for many claims, trial told

Sunday 4 June 2023 17:30 , Jane Dalton

A lawyer for Mirror Group Newspapers argued as the case opened last month that a “very substantial proportion” of the articles involved in the case were at “a breathtaking level of triviality”, saying there was “simply no evidence” for many of the claims of phone hacking:

‘Simply no evidence’ for many Mirror phone hacking claims, Prince Harry trial told

Private investigator gathered information on prince at nightclub

Sunday 4 June 2023 16:35 , Jane Dalton

On the first day of the trial last month, a lawyers for MGN, Andrew Green KC, said it was admitted that a private investigator was instructed, by an MGN journalist at The People, to unlawfully gather information about Harry’s activities at the Chinawhite nightclub one night in February 2004.

“Otherwise, the specified allegations are denied, or in a few cases not admitted,” he added.

Mr Green said there was a reference to a payment record for £75 in February 2004.

He continued: “It is admitted that this represented an instruction to engage in unlawful information gathering, and MGN unreservedly apologises and accepts that the Duke of Sussex is entitled to appropriate compensation for it.

“MGN does not know what information this related to, although it clearly had some connection with his conduct at the nightclub.”

The barrister said that there was a People article published in February 2004 “giving the recollection of a woman Harry spent time with” at the club.

Mr Green added: “The Duke of Sussex notably does not claim in relation to this article, so it is not alleged that this instruction led to the publication of his private information.

“The fee paid, £75, suggests little work was involved.”

Mirror Group admitted one instance of unlawful activity

Sunday 4 June 2023 15:52 , Jane Dalton

When the duke’s case began last month, lawyers for the publisher of the Daily Mirror newspaper apologised “unreservedly” to him for one instance of unlawful information gathering and said the company accepted he was entitled to “appropriate compensation”:

Mirror publisher admits unlawfully gathering information on Prince Harry

Harry set to give evidence as he sues Mirror Group

Sunday 4 June 2023 15:48 , Jane Dalton

Welcome to our live coverage of Prince Harry’s case against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN).

The Duke of Sussex is due to arrive at the High Court in London tomorrow and is due to enter the witness box on Tuesday, when he will face cross-examination from MGN’s lawyers.

Harry is suing the company for damages, claiming journalists carried out or authorised methods of gaining information, including phone hacking, so-called “blagging” or gaining information by deception and use of private investigators.

His claim is being heard alongside three other “representative” claims during a trial that is due to last six to seven weeks.

MGN contests the claims and has either denied or not admitted each of them. The publisher also argues some of the claimants have brought their legal action too late.