Prince Harry Reignites War With British Press In New Lawsuit Alongside Elton John
It's no secret that Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have had their fair share of legal drama over the years. This includes numerous battles with Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday. In July, Harry won the first stage of his libel case regarding a "defamatory" article by the Mail on Sunday, per People. The article, which was released in February, was titled, "Exclusive: How Prince Harry tried to keep his legal fight with the government over police bodyguards a secret... then – just minutes after the story broke – his PR machine tried to put a positive spin on the dispute," according to CNN. In a document provided at a preliminary hearing, Prince Harry's lawyers declared the article falsely implied that Harry "lied" and "improperly and cynically tried to manipulate and confuse public opinion."
In addition, Meghan won her legal case against the Mail on Sunday for copyright infringement and breach of privacy in 2021, per Variety. Parts of a letter she wrote to her father, Thomas Markle, ended up being published by the newspaper. In a statement, Meghan shared, "While this win is precedent setting, what matters most is that we are now collectively brave enough to reshape a tabloid industry that conditions people to be cruel, and profits from the lies and pain that they create."
Now, Prince Harry is enmeshed in another heated battle against Associated Newspapers, and the allegations aren't pretty.
Prince Harry's lawsuit revolves around 'breaches of privacy'
Prince Harry, Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley, and other high-profile public figures are igniting legal action against Associated Newspapers, per Variety. A statement from law firm Hamlins, which is representing Prince Harry, stated that the group has been "the victims of abhorrent criminal activity and gross breaches of privacy by Associated Newspapers." The allegations include Associated Newspapers employing private investigators to place listening devices in their homes and vehicles, appointing people to eavesdrop on their telephone calls, compensating police officials for sensitive information, impersonating hospital staff to acquire medical information, and gaining access to bank accounts and financial transactions "through illicit means and manipulation."
According to BBC, Hamlins also shared, "It is apparent to these individuals that the alleged crimes listed above represent the tip of the iceberg — and that many other innocent people remain unknowing victims of similar terrible and reprehensible covert acts."
In response, a representative of Associated Newspapers told Variety, "We utterly and unambiguously refute these preposterous smears which appear to be nothing more than a pre-planned and orchestrated attempt to drag the Mail titles into the phone hacking scandal concerning articles up to 30 years old." As Associated Newspapers vehemently denies these alarming allegations, Harry's legal fight continues to unfold.