Prince Harry's legal showdown against Rupert Murdoch's media empire has officially begun in London, as the Duke of Sussex takes a definitive stand against the unlawful practices of News Group Newspapers. The trial, commencing Monday, focuses on allegations of illicitly gathering private information, particularly phone hacking, a scandal that has marred the British tabloids for decades.
For the first two weeks, the proceedings are not expected to include Harry on the witness stand; rather, they will tackle broader "generic issues" linked to the newspaper’s practices from the 1990s to the early 2010s. This era is under scrutiny because it was during this time that the prince’s and other celebrities’ private details were often unlawfully extracted using dishonest means.
Significant implications loom for Murdoch and his former executives, as Harry’s legal team aims to demonstrate a conscious effort to conceal and destroy evidence of the illegal activities. Harry, now 40 years old and the younger son of King Charles III, stands as one of only two plaintiffs remaining out of a group that initially involved 40 individuals, including renowned actor Hugh Grant, most of whom have settled.
Tom Watson, a former deputy leader of the Labour Party, joins Harry in the lawsuit, claiming that he too was a victim of the tabloids’ targeted and unlawful tactics. The prince has made it clear that resolving the issue through a settlement is not an option; rather, he views this as a crucial opportunity to hold the British press accountable for its misdeeds during a particularly dark chapter.
In a recent interview at The New York Times’s DealBook Summit, Prince Harry articulated his motivation for pursuing the case, emphasizing that he feels a personal responsibility to uphold principles of accountability in journalism: “I am the last person that can actually achieve that.” His determination underscores a deeper fight not just for personal justice, but also as an advocate for press ethics and the protection of individual privacy rights.
