Prince Harry is on a decade-long legal journey as he fights for privacy.
Prince Harry’s legal battle against Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper, The Sun, has been making headlines lately.
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The Duke of Sussex first filed the lawsuit in 2012 after learning about an alleged agreement between the Royal family and News Group Newspapers (NGN), the publisher of The Sun.
This agreement supposedly hindered him from pursuing legal action against phone hacking claims due to ongoing litigation at the time.
The case is anything but straightforward, covering a decade’s worth of claims involving a wide range of characters.
To simplify matters, we created a timeline, shedding light on the various scandals that contributed to Prince Harry’s tense relationship with the press:
2012
Prince Harry suspected unlawful gathering of information.
He couldn’t act at the time due to the “secret agreement” between the Royal family and NGN officials, according to The Guardian.
However, the judge didn’t acknowledge this agreement in his ruling.
2016
Prince Harry publicly defended Meghan Markle from abuse and harassment by social media trolls.
This marked the beginning of the Duke’s turbulent relationship with the press.
2017-2018
That supposedly verified the agreement between NGN’s parent companies and Buckingham Palace staff.
This indicated a secret agreement supporting Prince Harry’s claims.
2019
Both Markle and Prince Harry sued tabloid press for violating their privacy rights.
Markle won a ruling against The Mail and Mail Online for unlawfully publishing parts of her private letter to her father.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry sued NGN and News of the World for alleged unlawful gathering of information.
2021
In the famous Oprah episode’s “Meghan and Harry” TV special, Prince Harry expressed his anger towards the media’s intrusive behavior.
He cites its impact on his mental health and draws parallels with what happened to his late mother, Princess Diana.
2023
In the last three months, Prince Harry has been involved in six legal battles at the High Court, three of which target British tabloids for “unlawful information gathering.”
The remaining claims within Prince Harry’s lawsuit will be discussed in High Court this January.
As of the end of July, Justice Fancourt approved the remaining claims within Prince Harry’s lawsuit to be heard in January.
While NGN and News of the World won’t go to trial, the case still holds significant importance for both sides.
The legal journey for Prince Harry continues, and the outcome remains uncertain.
His efforts to protect his privacy and hold media entities accountable have opened discussions on press ethics and responsibility.
As the court proceedings unfold, the world eagerly awaits to see how this high-profile lawsuit will shape the future of media reporting and the treatment of public figures.
Banner photo via Wikimedia Commons.
