By Sheila Mckenzie-
Prince Harry’s father, the then Prince Charles, insisted that his son drop his legal case against News Group Papers.
The Duke of Sussex’s claims on Tuesday were made as part of his ongoing legal action against News Group Newspapers.
Prince Harry said his father had personally demanded he stop his legal cases against British newspaper outlets when they were filed in late 2019.
He said his father’s intervention was because he wanted to ensure the Sun supported his ascension to the throne and Camilla’s role as queen consort, and had a “specific long-term strategy to keep the media on side” for “when the time came”.
In documents revealed at the High Court on Tuesday, Prince Harry claimed that Buckingham Palace and the newspaper group had struck a backroom deal – which is why he did not bring a claim earlier. He said he first became aware of the alleged deal in around 2012.
He said that under the deal, courtiers had secretly agreed that members of the Royal Family would put off legal claims, and the newspaper group promised to one day settle out-of-court, so as to spare the Royal Family embarrassment.
“The reason for this was to avoid the situation where a member of the Royal Family would have to sit in the witness box and recount the specific details of the private and highly-sensitive voicemails that had been intercepted.
The court filings state: “I was summoned to Buckingham Palace and specifically told to drop the legal actions because they have an ‘effect on all the family’.” He added this was “a direct request (or rather demand) from my father” and senior royal aides.
Harry blamed tabloid press intrusion for collapses in his mental health, said journalists had destroyed many of his relationships with girlfriends, and added that British tabloid journalists fuelled online trolls and drove people to suicide.
He said: “How much more blood will stain their typing fingers before someone can put a stop to this madness?”
The duke also suggested that press intrusion by the Sun and other newspapers led to his mother – Diana, Princess of Wales choosing to travel without a police escort, ultimately leading to her death in 1997.
In 2017, Harry decided to seek an apology from Murdoch’s News UK for phone hacking, receiving the backing of Queen Elizabeth II and his brother. His submission said: “William was very understanding and supportive and agreed that we needed to do it. He therefore suggested that I seek permission from ‘granny’.
I spoke to her shortly afterwards and said something along the lines of: ‘Are you happy for me to push this forward, do I have your permission?’ and she said: ‘Yes.The revelations came as former butler Paul Burrell claimed the Duke of Sussex may have little time to speak to the King or his brother, the Prince of Wales, during his flying visit.
He added there is “no chance” of a reconciliation between the duke and the rest of his family following the fallout from his bombshell memoir Spare earlier this year.
The revelation comes as former butler Paul Burrell claimed the Duke of Sussex may have little time to speak to the King or his brother, the Prince of Wales, during his flying visit.
He added there is “no chance” of a reconciliation between the duke and the rest of his family following the fallout from his bombshell memoir Spare earlier this year.
NGN has paid out millions in the past to settle over a thousand phone-hacking cases, and is strongly seeking to sweep aside Prince Harry’s claims alongside those of British actor Hugh Grant, arguing they should have taken action sooner.
The developments come at a bad time as the King tries to prepare for his Coronation next month.
Bitter wranglings between the Sussex’s and royal insiders have continued to threaten the expected good enjoyment of the coronation which the duchess of sussex has already announced she will not be attending.