Prince Harry scored a major victory in his legal battle against Associated Newspapers this week. The Duke of Sussex is suing the media company in London’s High Court for illegally gathering personal information about him, with allegations dating back to 1993. In a big win for his lawyers, the presiding judge has now ruled his case can go to trial, but is ensuring he supplies the proof to back up his claims.
Mr Justice Nicklin told Harry’s lawyers: “Serious allegations must be pleaded clearly and the claimants must have admissible evidence for that allegation, or reasonable grounds to suppose that evidence will be available at trial. If no evidence is available at trial, it has to be withdrawn.” That’s particularly so for one of Harry’s allegations, which Nicklin J considers so serious it “could be career-ending and give rise to potential criminal proceedings.”
Associated Media strongly denies any wrongdoing and applied to have the entire case thrown out in 2023. However, after careful consideration, the judge rejected the request and ruled that Harry could proceed with his claim.
Other claimants in the lawsuit include Sir Elton John, David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, and Sir Simon Hughes. Baroness Lawrence was prompted to join the fray after Prince Harry sent her a text message in Jan. 2022 which said he had “information” she “would want to know about.” Although court documents state that the text exists, Lawrence’s legal team told the court it is no longer on her mobile device.
Harry has made it his mission to bring down media companies that he believes were responsible for spreading lies about him and, in later years, his wife Meghan Markle. Harry’s legal battle is completely understandable since his mother, Princess Diana, was constantly harassed by the press. However, now he and his team must ensure their claims are evidenced, or the entire endeavor will have been for nothing.
The Duke of Sussex’s 2022 lawsuit against the Associated Newspapers wasn’t the first time the company had been accused of phone hacking. The first instance of such a claim came almost a decade earlier when the Rupert Murdoch-owned News Group Newspapers was found guilty of gaining access to the Prince’s phone and using the content for tabloid fodder. After the High Court ruled in his favor, Harry was awarded £140,600 (around $178,000).
While Harry has been busy with legal matters, Markle recently hosted a small dinner for the Southern California Welcome Project by herself. Over the past few months, the couple has been plagued by separation rumors, and showing up at events solo isn’t helping. The last time they were seen together in a professional capacity was in a video message about child safety, shared on their official website. As the holidays approach, Markle plans to spend a quiet Thanksgiving with her husband and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.