Prince Harry’s Claim Against ‘The Sun’ Publishers Set for Trial in January

Prince Harry will continue his legal battle against Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers (NGN), the publisher of The Sun, over allegations of unlawful information gathering by journalists and private investigators. 

The Duke of Sussex’s lawyer, David Sherborne, confirmed on Friday that Harry’s case, alongside former Labour MP Tom Watson’s, is expected to go to trial in January 2025.

The Duke of Sussex is accusing NGN of phone hacking and other privacy violations between 1996 and 2011, a period during which The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World allegedly targeted him. NGN has denied any wrongdoing.

The High Court ruling on Friday allowed Harry’s legal team to access additional emails between senior NGN staff and royal household members. These emails, which Harry’s lawyers argue are crucial to his case, had previously been withheld or selectively disclosed. Sherborne argued that NGN’s earlier submissions were incomplete and “cherrypicked,” leaving out key documents that could strengthen the Duke’s claims.

Justice Fancourt ruled there was “sufficient justification” for these emails to be disclosed, noting that “there is a credible case for saying a full picture is necessary in the interest of justice.”

Prince Harry’s case, part of a broader set of lawsuits against NGN, involves serious allegations of unlawful activities, including phone tapping and private information gathering. The Duke and Watson are among the few claimants still pursuing their cases after 39 others settled.

While many of the high-profile claimants—including celebrities like the Spice Girl’s Melanie Brown, Alan Yentob, and Alfie Allen—have settled, Harry’s case remains one of the most high-profile and contentious. 

In an interview for ITV’s Tabloids on Trial, Prince Harry acknowledged the impact the lawsuits have had on his relationship with his family.

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“Yeah, that’s certainly a central piece to it,” he said, adding that the pursuit of justice against the press is something he feels is necessary, despite the personal toll it has taken.

“But, you know, that’s a hard question to answer because anything I say about my family results in a torrent of abuse from the press,” said the prince, who formally stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and moved his wife, Meghan Markle, and children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3, to California. “I’ve made it very clear that this is something that needs to be done. It’d be nice if we did it as a family. I believe, again, from a service standpoint and when you’re in a public role that these are the things that we should be doing for the greater good. But, you know, I’m doing this for my reasons.”