Prince Harry and a group of high-profile figures, including Elton John, Liz Hurley, and Doreen Lawrence, are set to face the Daily Mail in a nine-week trial at the High Court in London. The claimants allege that the newspaper and its stablemate, the Mail on Sunday, engaged in unlawful activities such as phone hacking, tapping landlines, bribing police, and bugging homes.
The publisher, Associated Newspapers, has dismissed the claims as 'preposterous' and an affront to journalists. The trial is expected to cost £38 million in legal fees and will feature testimony from former editor-in-chief Paul Dacre.
Prince Harry's legal battle stems from his deep-seated anger over press treatment of his mother, Princess Diana, and his wife, Meghan. He has previously won damages in a phone-hacking case against Mirror Group Newspapers and settled a claim against News Group Newspapers.
The case will also spotlight figures like Graham Johnson, a former journalist who pleaded guilty to phone hacking in 2014 and has been investigating the Mail titles. Another key figure, private investigator Gavin Burrows, has claimed his signature on a witness statement was forged.
