Queen backed Prince Harry's bid for Murdoch apology, High Court told

Queen Elizabeth supported Prince Harry's bid for an apology from media mogul Rupert Murdoch but he was blocked by King Charles's staff, the High Court has heard.

The Duke of Sussex is suing News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World, over alleged unlawful gathering of information at its titles.

But NGN is arguing that the claim, along with one brought by actor Hugh Grant, have been brought too late and should be thrown out.

While NGN has settled hacking claims in relation to the News of the World, the publisher denies illegal activity at The Sun.

In a witness statement made public on Tuesday, Prince Harry described how in late 2017 he wanted to "push for a resolution" over phone hacking and get an apology from News Corp owner Mr Murdoch before his wedding to the Duchess of Sussex.

"I remember speaking to my brother [Prince William] and saying something along the lines of, 'Enough of this, I want to get permission to push for a resolution to our phone hacking claims and a formal apology from Murdoch before any of his people are allowed anywhere near the wedding', or words to that effect," he said.

But he accused Clarence House of "seemingly blocking our every move" as part of a strategy to keep the media "onside in order to smooth the way for my stepmother and father to be accepted by the British public as queen consort and king respectively".

In his written statement, Prince Harry said he was angry about "appalling treatment" his wife had received from Murdoch-owned newspapers and was frustrated about a lack of progress on phone hacking.

"I thought, naively perhaps, that this might prove the perfect opportunity to air our grievances and force a resolution to our phone-hacking claims," he said.

Prince Harry and Meghan Duchess of Sussex through the years - in pictures

Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex watch as the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is placed into the hearse following the state funeral service at Westminster Abbey in central London.

AP

Prince Harry said his brother, the Prince of Wales, was "very understanding and supportive, and agreed that we needed to do it" and "suggested that I seek permission from Granny" -- the late queen.

"I spoke to her shortly afterwards and said something along the lines of, 'Are you happy for me to push this forward, do I have your permission?' And she said: 'Yes'."

Prince Harry said the queen's then-director of communications Sally Osman was then "given the green light to approach senior executives at NGN on behalf of the institution, her late majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William and me, to broker a resolution and an apology from Mr Murdoch".

But he said there was "very little support" from the queen's private secretary, or from Buckingham Palace and Clarence House, "despite my grandmother having given her consent".

"I remember one senior palace staff member saying that there couldn't be an apology to the queen because she didn't have a claim," Prince Harry said.

The duke said that in March 2018, after "continued silence" from News International, the queen allowed another note to be sent to Robert Thomson, chief executive of News Corporation, and Rebekah Brooks, chief executive of News UK.

In an email from Ms Osman describing the note, she said: "Her majesty has approved the wording, which essentially says there is increasing frustration at their lack of response and engagement and, while we've tried to settle without involving lawyers, we will need to reconsider our stance unless we receive a viable proposal."

But Prince Harry said he was told shortly before his wedding that "nothing could be done", by Gerrard Tyrrell, who the duke later described as "the institution's lawyer taking direction from Clarence House".

"Shortly before the wedding, we were informed by Gerrard Tyrrell that nothing could be done as NGN were not in a position to apologise to her majesty the queen and the rest of the royal family at that stage on account of the fact that, if they did so, they would have to admit that not only was the News of the World involved in phone hacking but also The Sun," he claimed.

"And that was something that they couldn't afford to do until the end of the litigation because it would seriously undermine their settlement strategy across all the other claims."

Prince Harry said he understood this conversation took place between King Charles's communications secretary and Ms Brooks.

"With hindsight, I now understand why staff at Clarence House were being so unhelpful and were seemingly blocking our every move, as they had a specific long-term strategy to keep the media, including NGN, onside in order to smooth the way for my stepmother and father to be accepted by the British public as queen consort and king respectively, when the time came," he said.

"And anything that might upset the apple cart in this regard, including the suggestion of resolution of our phone-hacking claims, was to be avoided at all costs."

Prince Harry also said that when he did start his claims against NGN and also Mirror Group Newspapers in October 2019, he was "summoned to Buckingham Palace and specifically told to drop the legal actions because they have an 'effect on all the family'".

The duke described this as "a direct request, or rather demand" from King Charles, then the prince of Wales, his private secretary and the queen's private secretary.

Saying Mr Tyrrell was a "no-go", Prince Harry said he told his own lawyers to bring a claim against NGN, telling the queen, his father and Prince William of this while he was on tour in Africa.

Updated: April 25, 2023, 7:37 PM