Analyzing Prince Harry's Legal Fights

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When it comes to the litigious nature of the British royal family, the Duke of Sussex stands out as one of the most outspoken members.

Prince Harry's turbulent relationship with the media has been widely reported. In his memoir, he revealed his strong animosity towards the tabloid press and openly blames them for contributing to his mother's untimely death. The 39-year-old royal has made it his mission to advocate for a more ethical media and is currently involved in several legal disputes in the UK.

Heres a rundown of his ongoing civil litigation against media outlets:

Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL)

In the latest high-profile case, Elton John and his husband David Furnish are among the group of individuals involved in a joint endeavor, along with Doreen Lawrence, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, and Simon Hughes. The case, filed in October 2022, alleges that ANL, the publisher of the Daily Mail and MailOnline, engaged in criminal activity to obtain information about the claimants, a charge which ANL has denied.

The group accused ANL of hiring private investigators to plant listening devices in homes and cars and record private calls. They also stated that the publisher denied allegations of paying corrupt police officials for inside information, engaging in impersonation and deception to obtain medical records, and hacking into bank accounts and financial transactions through "illicit means and manipulation."

This month, Britain's High Court ruled that the case over alleged unlawful information gathering could proceed despite ANL's attempts to have it dismissed without trial, claiming it was brought too late. Justice Nicklin noted that ANL failed to deliver a "knockout blow" to any of the claims brought by the claimants.

Second Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) lawsuit

Prince Harry is also suing ANL for libel over a February 2022 Mail on Sunday story about separate legal proceedings against the UK Home Office over his familys security detail.

The headline of the published article was "Exclusive: Prince Harry's Attempt to Keep Legal Dispute with Government Over Police Bodyguards Secret." However, his PR team quickly tried to spin the story in a positive light after it broke. ANL has denied the claim, stating that the report was an "honest opinion" and did not seriously harm his reputation, according to the publisher's lawyers.

Harrys legal team are seeking a ruling in their clients favor without a trial. A decision from Justice Nicklin is expected soon.

Harry gives a thumbs up as he leaves after giving evidence at the Mirror Group phone-hacking trial at the Rolls Building at High Court in London, June 7, 2023.

Carl Court/Getty Images

News Group Newspapers (NGN)

This is another one of the duke's cases that has experienced some developments in the past few months. In 2019, Prince Harry filed a lawsuit against News Group Newspapers (NGN) for suspected illegal acquisition of information.

NGN, the UK publisher of The Sun and the now-defunct News of The World newspaper, is facing a lawsuit alleging illegal interception of voicemail messages, deceptive acquisition of private information, and the unlawful use of private investigators to obtain information.

In response, NGN has sought to dismiss the case, claiming that the lawsuit should have been brought forward sooner by Prince Harry. However, the prince has stated that he was unable to do so due to a "secret agreement" between NGN and Buckingham Palace.

Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN)

In July, the High Court's ruling prohibited the royal from suing for alleged phone-hacking or invoking a confidential deal as a defense, but did permit other claims to proceed. The trial is scheduled to commence in early 2025.

In 2019, Harry initiated legal action against both Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) and NGN. The trial commenced in May and featured the unusual spectacle of a senior royal appearing as a witness in the courtroom. Alongside three other claimants, Prince Harry is leading a lawsuit against a prominent British newspaper publisher, alleging that its publications engaged in phone-hacking and other illicit methods to collect data from 1991 to 2011.

MGN has disputed the majority of the accusations, stating in its court documents that some claims were filed too late and that there is not enough evidence of phone-hacking in all four cases. A ruling on the case is anticipated in the coming months.