Prince Harry's Phone-Hacking Lawsuits Could Make Things Even …
Wait, things could actually get worse between Prince Harry and the royal family? He and his brother, Prince William, reportedly aren't speaking as it is. Nevertheless, a commentator says relations could reach a new low.
The reason: the Duke of Sussex's phone-hacking claims and how they play out in court.
Prince Harry has multiple lawsuits with British tabloid publishers currently underway
King Charles III, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry | Stephen Pond/Getty Images
The Duke of Sussex has legal suits against numerous British tabloid publishers regarding allegations of illegal information gathering. Think phone tapping, bugging, hiring private investigators, and accessing financial documents/accounts.
They're what brought him to London, England, in March 2023 for a surprise appearance at a court hearing. Now, in the midst of a three-day hearing in a lawsuit against New Group Newspapers, or NGN, Harry could find the state of his relationship with his family at new lows because of the outcome.
Harry could blame the royal family if a judge rules he didn't pursue phone-hacking claims soon enough
According to royal correspondent Jack Royston, Harry may blame his family if the NGN phone-hacking lawsuit gets tossed.
NGN's argument is that the judge should dismiss the lawsuit because it's past the six-year time limit for phone-hacking claims. Meanwhile, Harry argues he only recently became aware of any rights to such a claim. Were the judge to side with NGN, Harry "will probably be pulling his hair out," Royston told the U.K.'s Sky News on April 26 (via Newsweek).
"It is his big crusade, his big project. He is at war with the media," he said. "It is there in his witness statement that he probably could have launched some of these lawsuits a while ago. He will be absolutely heartbroken if the court rules that he left it too late, and he will no doubt blame his family and the palace."
"He will feel that it is their fault that he missed his opportunity," Royston added. "So, actually if he loses, that could sow further division between him and his family as well."
Harry accused the royal family of making a 'secret agreement' with tabloid publishers
In a 31-page witness statement released as part of the court proceedings, Harry accused members of the royal family of striking a "secret agreement" with NGN. He claimed, per Reuters, Buckingham Palace made a deal with senior-level NGN staff to avoid embarrassment. Harry also said his attempts to get an apology from NGN, with Queen Elizabeth II's permission, were unsuccessful due to the "secret agreement."
Elsewhere in his witness statement, Harry said NGN settled with Prince William "for a huge sum of money in 2020. Without any of the public being told, and seemingly with some favourable [sic] deal in return for him going 'quietly' so to speak." Harry also said he'd been told by his father, King Charles III, and his father's staff, after issuing hacking claims in October 2019, not to pursue action because of the "'effect on all the family.'"
"With hindsight, I now understand why staff at Clarence House were being so unhelpful and were seemingly blocking our every move," Harry recalled. They "had a specific long-term strategy to keep the media (including NGN) onside in order to smooth the way for my stepmother [Camilla Parker Bowles] (and father) to be accepted by the British public as Queen Consort (and King respectively) when the time came." "Anything that might upset the applecart in this regard (including the suggestion of resolution of our phone-hacking claims) was to be avoided at all costs," Harry added.
Harry's phone-hacking lawsuits are ongoing with him to join the royal family at King Charles' coronation on May 6.