Inside Prince Harry's Legal Battles: Unveiling Phone Hacking, Police Protection, and Beyond

After resigning as a senior working royal in 2020, Prince Harry has been outspoken in defending himself and has pursued legal action on multiple occasions.

One notable instance is when the Duke of Sussex contested the loss of state-funded police protection for him and his wife, Meghan Markle, during their visits to the United Kingdom after their resignation. Harry's legal team argued that despite no longer being working royals, the couple and their children, Archie and Lilibet, continue to be highly prominent figures.

In January 2022, Prince Harry's team stated that he was born into a lifelong security risk. Despite being sixth in line to the throne and having completed two tours in Afghanistan, he and his family have faced well-documented threats from neo-Nazis and extremists. Although his role within the Institution has changed, his status as a member of the royal family and the threats they face remain unchanged.

In 2022, Harry sought a judicial review after the Home Office in England stated that private individuals could not utilize state security, even if they were willing to pay for it themselves. However, nearly a year later, Judge Martin Chamberlain ruled against Harry, preventing him from hiring police officers to safeguard his family while in the U.K.

Chamberlain's decision in May 2023 stated that allowing privately funded protective security would lead to unfair treatment of less wealthy individuals, a reduction in the availability of expert resources, and establish a difficult-to-contain precedent. On the other hand, a lawyer representing the U.K. government argued against permitting individuals to hire police officers as private bodyguards for the wealthy.

Despite Chamberlain rejecting Harry's proposal to pay for his own police protection, the prince is currently involved in a pending case that could overturn the Home Office's decision to withdraw his state-funded security. If he succeeds in this case, the government may be required to reinstate police protection for him when he is in his home country. Presently, he only has protection while attending official royal events, such as the late Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee in June 2022 or King Charles III's coronation in May 2023.

Keep scrolling for a complete guide to Harry’s various legal battles:

Mirror Group Newspapers

Harry is one of the individuals involved in a lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers, the owner of the Daily Mirror. The lawsuit accuses the newspaper of engaging in voicemail hacking to obtain personal information from celebrities. MGN has refuted Harry's claim that their reporters accessed his voicemails and has contended that they cannot be held responsible for any allegations made before October 2000, when the U.K.'s Human Rights Act of 1998 came into effect. In June 2023, Harry provided testimony in the case, marking the first time a member of the royal family has testified in court in 130 years.

Current Status: Both parties presented their closing arguments in June 2023, and a decision from the judge is expected by September 2023.

News Group Newspapers

Also facing a legal battle is Harry, who is taking legal action against News Group Newspapers, the owner of The Sun, over claims of illegal data gathering for stories published in the company's tabloids. In April 2023, Harry further alleged that his brother, Prince William, reached a settlement with NGN in 2020, involving a substantial amount of money. In a court document, he claimed that there existed a "confidential arrangement" between the royal family and NGN, which prohibited any member of the royal family from bringing lawsuits against the company.

Prince Harry outside the High Court in London, June 2023. NEIL HALL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

NGN previously admitted to phone hacking at News of the World, which closed in 2011. However, the company has denied any wrongdoing at The Sun and has rejected Harry's claims of a secret deal with the royal family. In July 2023, Judge Timothy Fancourt ruled that the case can proceed based on allegations of unlawful information gathering. However, Harry's claims of phone hacking were dismissed due to exceeding the six-year time limit for legal action. Furthermore, Fancourt stated that Harry failed to provide any evidence of the alleged "secret agreement" between NGN and the royal family. A trial is scheduled to commence in January 2024.

Associated Newspapers Limited (Defamation)

Associated Newspapers Limited, the owner of the Daily Mail, was sued by Harry for publishing a February 2022 article in the Mail on Sunday. Harry alleged that the article defamed him by implying that he was dishonest in his initial public statements regarding his lawsuit against the police for protection. In response, the newspaper's lawyer contended that Harry’s legal team was restricting the newspaper's freedom to express opinions.

Status: A judge ruled in July 2022 that the article was defamatory and the case can move forward with a trial. A trial date has not been set.

Associated Newspapers Limited (Phone Hacking)

Harry has brought another lawsuit against Associated Newspapers Limited, in which he asserts similar claims as in his cases against MGN and NGN. He is one of several celebrities, such as Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley, who are suing Associated for allegedly hacking their phones to gain access to their personal information. Associated has refuted these allegations and contended that the claims regarding phone hacking are time-barred.

Prince Harry leaving the High Court in London, March 2023. ANDY RAIN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Status: Harry attended a preliminary hearing in March 2023. The case is still pending.

Government-Funded Police Protection

Despite losing his attempt to personally finance police protection, Harry remains hopeful for a favorable outcome in his ongoing legal battle against the government. If successful, this legal proceeding has the potential to reinstate state-funded security for both him and his family during their visits to the United Kingdom. In a significant ruling made by Judge Jonathan Swift in July 2022, Harry was granted permission to proceed with his petition for a judicial review of RAVEC's initial decision in 2020. RAVEC, also known as the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, holds the responsibility of providing security to individuals who are recognized as requiring public protection.

Harry’s legal team has argued that RAVEC’s decision was unreasonable because Harry was not allowed to make “informed representations beforehand.”

Status: No court date has been set.