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Can’t wait to see how the Washington Post deals with this update! Prince Harry is now only one of two litigants suing The Sun (News Group Newspapers) for hacking and unlawfully obtained information. Harry was originally part of a larger class-action lawsuit with 40 other litigants, and it was set to go to trial next year. Now NGN has settled with every litigant except for Harry and Tom Watson, a former Labour leader. NGN loves to settle these claims after years of dragging their victims into court and making their lives hell – they did the same with Hugh Grant earlier this year as well, and I imagine NGN had to pay out in a really big way to get 38 people to settle like this.
Prince Harry is continuing his lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers (NGN) over alleged unlawful activities by journalists and private investigators despite dozens of others settling their cases, his lawyer said on Friday.
Harry, 40, the younger son of King Charles, is suing the publisher of the Sun and the now-defunct News of the World at the High Court in London, alleging NGN unlawfully obtained private information about him from 1996 until 2011.
The royal’s case was one of about 40 lawsuits against NGN, but all but one other litigant – Tom Watson, the former deputy leader of Britain’s now-governing Labour Party – have now settled, Harry’s lawyer David Sherborne told the court.
Those who have agreed to settle include Spice Girl Melanie Brown, former BBC executive Alan Yentob, “Game of Thrones” actor Alfie Allen and Ted Beckham, the father of former England soccer captain David Beckham.
The trial is due to begin in January, though Sherborne has previously said it was likely claimants could be forced to settle because they could be left with huge legal bills if they rejected a settlement offer, even if they won at trial. He made the remarks after British actor Hugh Grant reluctantly settled his case in April.
NGN has paid out hundreds of millions of pounds to victims of phone hacking and other unlawful information gathering by the News of the World and settled claims brought by more than 1,300 celebrities, politicians, well-known sports figures and ordinary people who were connected to them or major events.
Harry’s legal team previously said that his older brother Prince William, the heir to the throne, settled a case against NGN, the British newspaper arm of News Corp, in 2020. The publisher has always rejected allegations of any wrongdoing by staff at the Sun, though it has paid damages to settle cases involving claims levelled against the tabloid’s journalists.
David Sherborne, Harry’s lawyer in the UK, told the media: “The Duke of Sussex is one of two claimants whose claims are still live in this matter. The reduction of the live claims to just two is a pretty recent development.” Sherborne admitted in April that Harry is taking a huge risk by continuing with this litigation and refusing the settlement offers from NGN, because if Harry loses, he could be on the hook for millions in legal fees and more. There’s been a really high-level pressure campaign to “convince” Harry to drop this lawsuit in particular and/or to settle out of court. I think it’s remarkable that he’s still going.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
Prince Harry arrives at The Royal Courts Of Justice in London, England, UK on Thursday 30 March, 2023. He is part of a group suing the Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL) in the High Court over phone hacking allegations.,Image: 766139790, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon
Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex arrives at The Rolls Building – Royal Courts Of Justice in London, England, UK on Tuesday 6 June, 2023 to give evidence as part of the Mirror Group newspapers (MGN) phone hacking trial.,Image: 781720766, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon
Prince Harry The Duke Of Sussex departs The Rolls Building – Royal Courts Of Justice in London, England, UK on Wednesday 7 June, 2023 as part of the Mirror Group newspapers (MGN) phone hacking trial.,Image: 782000552, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon
Prince Harry The Duke Of Sussex departs The Rolls Building – Royal Courts Of Justice in London, England, UK on Wednesday 7 June, 2023 as part of the Mirror Group newspapers (MGN) phone hacking trial.,Image: 782000576, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon
Prince Harry The Duke Of Sussex departs The Rolls Building – Royal Courts Of Justice in London, England, UK on Wednesday 7 June, 2023 as part of the Mirror Group newspapers (MGN) phone hacking trial.,Image: 782000590, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon
Prince Harry The Duke Of Sussex departs The Rolls Building – Royal Courts Of Justice in London, England, UK on Wednesday 7 June, 2023 as part of the Mirror Group newspapers (MGN) phone hacking trial.,Image: 782000612, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon
Prince Harry The Duke Of Sussex departs The Rolls Building – Royal Courts Of Justice in London, England, UK on Wednesday 7 June, 2023 as part of the Mirror Group newspapers (MGN) phone hacking trial.,Image: 782000619, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon
Prince Harry The Duke Of Sussex departs The Rolls Building – Royal Courts Of Justice in London, England, UK on Wednesday 7 June, 2023 as part of the Mirror Group newspapers (MGN) phone hacking trial.,Image: 782000626, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon
Royal Courts of Justice, London, UK. 7th June 2023.
Prince Harry leaving the Royal Courts of Justice, with his lawyer, David Sherborne, following his second day giving testimony in the witness stand.
The Duke of Sussex is suing Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) for damages over alleged unlawful information gathering, including phone hacking and is the first senior British royal to give evidence in court for 130 years.,Image: 782000910, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Supplied by AVALON – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: Photo by Amanda Rose / Avalon
