Prince Harry is preparing to travel to London this week to attend a court hearing against a prominent publishing group, the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers, on charges of privacy violations and illegal data collection. This marks his "final mission" in a long-running legal battle with the media.
The hearing will take place at the High Court in London, starting Monday (19 Jan) and is expected to last up to nine weeks. Prince Harry is a co-plaintiff alongside several celebrities, including legendary musician Elton John, his husband David Furnish, and notable actors Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost.
The complainants allege that Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, engaged in or commissioned multiple illegal activities, including phone hacking by hiring private detectives to install listening devices inside cars, identity forgery by impersonating others to access sensitive medical information, and covertly eavesdropping on private telephone conversations.
However, the media group has strongly denied all allegations, calling them "vile" and "absurd."
According to the court schedule, Prince Harry will attend the opening statements during the first three days and is set to testify all day on Thursday. Elizabeth Hurley will testify the following week, and Elton John is scheduled to give evidence in early February.
This return to the UK is a rare occurrence since Prince Harry stepped back from senior royal duties in 2020 and relocated to California with his wife, Meghan. Although he previously visited in September, during which he met King Charles III to mend family rifts, British media report there are no plans for him to meet his father during this trip.
It is well-known that Prince Harry blames the media for his mother Princess Diana’s death in 1997, caused by a car accident while being chased by paparazzi in Paris. He regards holding the press accountable for their misconduct as a personal mission.
This is the third and final case following prior victories and damages awarded. In 2023, the court ruled in his favor against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) for phone hacking, awarding him over £140,000 in damages.
Meanwhile, News Group Newspapers (NGN), part of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, recently settled out of court in January 2025, paying substantial damages and issuing a formal apology for invasions of privacy against both Prince Harry and Princess Diana.
Media lawyer Mark Stephens told AFP this case is about more than just personal matters; it concerns the "future accountability of the press." He emphasized that while media freedom is essential, freedom from illegal surveillance is equally important. This trial will set a new global standard for press conduct.