Prince Harry sues papers over hacking claims

The Duke of Sussex could appear in court as he sues two media groups over alleged phone hacking.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. Picture: Getty Images

The Duke of Sussex has raised the prospect of appearing in the witness box at the High Court as it emerged that he is suing two newspaper groups over the alleged hacking of his mobile phone.

Court listings show that “Duke of Sussex, HRH” has issued two claims through Clintons solicitors against News Group Newspapers, which owns The Sun and owned the News of the World before it was closed in 2011, and Mirror Group Newspapers, which owns the Daily Mirror and the Sunday Mirror.

The claims were filed on September 27 but have come to light after they were reported by the website Byline Investigates.

It is the second time in a week that the duke’s family has taken legal action against newspapers after it emerged on Wednesday that the Duchess of Sussex is using Schillings to sue the Mail on Sunday over the publication of a letter to her estranged father in which she urged him not to speak to the press.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex with wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. Picture: AFP

A royal commentator suggested that the duke was engaged in “all-out war with the press”.

A source confirmed overnight that the duke’s claim related to the illegal interception of voicemail messages. Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

Neither News UK, which publishes The Sun, nor Reach, the corporate owner of Mirror Group Newspapers, would comment on the legal action. News UK also publishes The Times.

The details of the claims have not been published so it is unclear when the duke is alleging that phone hacking took place. Clive Goodman, royal editor for the News of the World, and Glenn Mulcaire, a private investigator, were jailed in 2007 for intercepting voicemails to aides working for Harry and his brother, the Duke of Cambridge (Prince William).

Lawyers with expertise in phone hacking said that there was a six-year limitation period for such claims, although that period begins when the claimant first learns about the alleged crime.

Mark Stephens, a partner at Howard Kennedy whose own phone was hacked, predicted that the duke’s lawyers would have “real problems with limitation in bringing the action” and would have to show that the duke had not known about a hacking incident before 2013.

“The key question is, when did police alert him?” he said. “They alerted all victims, usually most important or sensitive ones first.”

Ingrid Seward, the editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine and a biographer of Harry, said the duke was sending a message of war.

“It tells us that Harry has lit a touch paper. He’s on fire with fury at the press,” she said. “He’s prepared to go all the way in his all-out war with the press. Presumably he’s prepared to take the flak that inevitably comes with litigation.” She said the duke would fund the case privately rather than use either public funds or support from organisations.

If the duke, who is sixth in line to the throne, were to appear in court it would be the first time for a member of the family since 2002, when Princess Anne pleaded guilty to a charge under the dangerous dogs act after her English bull terrier, Dotty, bit two children in Windsor Great Park.

The Times