Prince Harry has appeared in person at London’s High Court on Friday, October 1, 2021, for the first hearing of a lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail. The Duke of Sussex brought the legal action along with other celebrities including Elizabeth Hurley and Elton John against Associated Newspapers over allegations of phonetapping and privacy breaches.
Details of the Lawsuit
The lawsuit accuses Associated Newspapers of hiring private investigators to secretly place listening devices in people’s homes and cars, snooping on private phone calls, paying police officials for sensitive information and impersonation of individuals to obtain medical information. The initial legal arguments in the case were considered and a judge was expected to decide if the case could proceed further.
Prince Harry and others claimed to be victims of “abhorrent criminal activity” and “gross breaches of privacy.” The allegations against Associated Newspapers were called “preposterous smears” by ANL’s lawyers. The media company is trying to have the case thrown out over four days of hearings.
Prince Harry’s Presence in London
Despite Prince Harry’s presence in London, he will not meet his father King Charles or his brother Prince William as they are too busy to make time for him. The apparent lack of enthusiasm by the royals to meet with Harry will crush any last remaining hopes he may have held that his family would sit down for face-to-face talks with him before the coronation.
Prince Harry has said that he wants “an apology to my wife” for the bad way they allege she was treated when they were working members of the royal family. However, the royals do not believe they have anything to apologize for and will make no such gesture.
ANL’s Response
ANL’s lawyers argued that each claimant needs to demonstrate that they did not know or could not have discovered earlier that they might have been able to bring a claim against ANL for alleged misuse of their private information. The case against ANL is one of several lawsuits launched by Prince Harry in recent years.
ANL denies the allegations and is trying to strike down the case on two points. ANL lost a similar privacy case brought by Meghan Markle in 2021. Prince Harry is separately suing the ANL for defamation over a 2022 article about his security arrangements.
Prince Harry’s Recent Travels
Prince Harry’s recent travel raises questions about his security in the country. The Duke has not planned to visit his brother Prince William nor his father, King Charles during this trip. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have cited media harassment and mistreatment as one of the primary reasons why they left the royal family.
In conclusion, Prince Harry’s appearance at London’s High Court for the privacy breach lawsuit against Associated Newspapers reveals the depth of his concern about privacy protection, and ongoing legal action against media intrusions. Despite the hopes of some, it has become clear that the Duke’s visit to London will not include any significant reconciliation or formal conversations with members of the royal family. The outcome of this lawsuit may have far-reaching implications for media behavior towards public figures in the future.
