Prince Harry is set to discover the outcome of his legal claim against the publisher of the Daily Mail over allegations of unlawful information gathering, one of several high-profile cases involving the duke in recent years. The ruling by Mr Justice Nicklin is expected at 2pm on Tuesday, concluding an 11-week trial in London.
Unlawful Information Gathering Claim Against Associated Newspapers
Harry, along with Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Sir Elton John, and David Furnish, sued Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), alleging that private investigators, freelance journalists, and ANL staff engaged in voicemail interception, landline tapping, and obtaining information by deception. ANL has strongly denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
The duke is specifically challenging 14 articles published between 2001 and 2013. In a witness statement read during the trial in January, Harry stated he was “determined to hold Associated accountable” and questioned why the publisher should “get away with something they have covered up and lied about for however many years.” He claimed that “knowingly false” information was added to stories to conceal unlawful methods, including voicemail interception. During cross-examination, Harry became emotional, stating that the publisher had “made my wife's life an absolute misery” and continued to “come after me.” He denied having “leaky” social circles, insisting, “My social circles were not leaky, I want to make that absolutely clear.”
ANL's barrister, Antony White KC, argued in written submissions that the publisher “strongly denies” any unlawful information gathering directed at the duke, asserting that the articles “were sourced entirely legitimately from information variously provided by contacts of the journalists responsible, including individuals in the Duke of Sussex's social circle, press officers and publicists, freelance journalists, photographers and prior reports.”
Libel Claim from Sentebale
The duke is currently being sued for defamation by Sentebale, a charity he co-founded and worked with for 19 years before stepping down as patron. The lawsuit, brought alongside former trustee Mark Dyer, follows Harry's resignation in support of trustees who left after a dispute with board chairwoman Dr. Sophie Chandauka. Sentebale's board claims Harry co-ordinated an “adverse media campaign” causing “operational disruption and reputational harm.” Harry has rejected the claim as “offensive and damaging.”
Settlement with News Group Newspapers
In January 2025, Harry settled a claim against News Group Newspapers (NGN), publisher of The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World. Alongside former Labour deputy leader Lord Tom Watson, Harry alleged targeting by journalists and private investigators. The settlement included a “full and unequivocal apology” and “substantial” damages. NGN apologized for intrusion between 1996 and 2011, including “incidents of unlawful activities” by private investigators working for The Sun, and for phone hacking, surveillance, and misuse of private information by News of the World journalists. The publisher also apologized for the impact on Harry's late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
Challenge Against Home Office Security Arrangements
In 2024, Harry lost a High Court challenge against the Home Office over security arrangements for himself and his family in the UK. He contested a February 2020 decision by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec), which downgraded his personal protective security. Harry's lawyers argued he was “singled out” and treated “less favourably,” but the Government maintained Ravec was entitled to make a “bespoke” assessment on a “case-by-case” basis. Retired High Court judge Sir Peter Lane ruled Ravec's approach was not irrational or procedurally unfair, and the Court of Appeal upheld this decision in May 2024. In December, The Sun reported that Harry's security arrangements were under review.
Withdrawn Libel Claim Against ANL
Harry also sued ANL over a February 2022 Mail on Sunday article about his security challenge, claiming it “purported to reveal, in sensational terms,” that court documents contradicted his public statements about paying for police protection. ANL argued the article expressed an “honest opinion” and caused no “serious harm.” Harry withdrew the claim in January 2024, with a spokesperson saying he did not want to “give a continued platform to the Mail's false claims.”
Legal Battle with Mirror Group Newspapers
In December 2023, Mr Justice Fancourt ruled that phone hacking was “widespread and habitual” at Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) in the late 1990s and that Harry's phone was hacked “to a modest extent.” He was awarded £140,600 in damages. In February 2024, Harry settled the remainder of his claim, with MGN agreeing to pay a “substantial additional sum” in damages and all legal costs.
