Harry sues Sun and Mirror over ‘phone-hacking’
PRINCE Harry is suing The Sun and Daily Mirror for alleged phone-hacking, it was announced yesterday.
Buckingham Palace confirmed he had lodged papers at the High Court claiming his voicemails had been illegally intercepted.
The details have not been made public but are believed to relate to dates in the 2000s when the prince was in his early twenties.
Both newspapers have paid millions to settle phone hacking claims by celebrities over the same period. If Harry decides to shun an out-of-court settlement, it raises the prospect of a serving member of the Royal Family entering the witness box.
Unlike other famous claimants, he might decide he preferred the publicity to the money, if he was trying to make a point.
Last night a spokesman for News Group Newspapers, which owns The Sun, said: ‘ We confirm that a claim has been issued by the Duke of Sussex.’ There was no immediate statement from Reach plc, which owns the Daily Mirror. The two separate claims were lodged on September 27, naming the claimant as HRH The Duke of Sussex. They were filed by law firm Clintons, which has won multiple phone-hacking payouts on behalf of its clients.
It comes just days after Meghan launched legal action against the Mail on Sunday over the publication of a letter she wrote to her estranged father. The newspaper says it stands by the story and will contest the claims. In a statement, the prince said his wife had been driven to the courts following ‘relentless propaganda’ from the British tabloid Press.
■ The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are to undertake their most ‘complex tour ever’ when they visit Pakistan from October 14. Officials say there are ‘logistical and security’ issues over travel to a country that faces risk of terrorism and sectarian violence.