By Sheila Mckenzie-
Prince Harry has made the radical allegation that the publisher of The Sun tabloid unlawfully intercepted phone calls involving his late mother, Princess Diana, and father, now King Charles III.
He additionally accused the paper of targeting his wife Meghan through the hiring of a private investigator. Hiring an investigator to obtain a story is not illegal, but could raise ethical issues depending on the purpose of the hire.
Prince Harry told the High Court on the second day of a two day hearing that an investigator provided information in 2016 for two stories on the future Duchess of Sussex.
In a dramatic escalation of his ongoing privacy invasion lawsuit against News Group Newspapers, the Duke of Sussex is seeking to expand his legal battle against the media conglomerate, accusing it of egregious breaches of privacy that date back to his childhood.
According to Harry’s lawyer, David Sherborne, evidence obtained largely through materials provided by News Group Newspapers (NGN) has revealed that Diana’s calls, including conversations with her then-estranged husband Charles and his paramour at the time, Camilla Parker Bowles, now Queen Camilla, were unlawfully intercepted.
These interceptions, which occurred when Harry was as young as 9 years old, inevitably exposed private information about the young prince.
The amended complaint filed by Harry’s legal team asserts that Diana harboured suspicions of being followed and having her calls monitored.
Articles published in The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World indicated that journalists had insider knowledge of Diana’s whereabouts and private conversations, even referencing her therapy sessions, according to Harry.
Sherborne contends that NGN’s newspapers maliciously dismissed Diana’s concerns as “paranoid delusions” while actively participating in the unlawful interception of her communications.
This latest development comes following allegations raised by Harry’s lawyer on Wednesday, implicating media mogul Rupert Murdoch in a cover-up of unlawful information gathering at his newspapers or, at the very least, turning a blind eye to such practices.
Harry is among 45 claimants, including notable figures like actor Hugh Grant and filmmaker Guy Ritchie, who allege widespread privacy violations by News Group journalists spanning over two decades.
In response to the new claims, defense lawyer Anthony Hudson criticized Harry’s timing and accused him of seeking sensational headlines.
Hudson argued that Harry had failed to adhere to court procedures for introducing new claims and suggested that the allegations were a diversion from the core issues of the case, scheduled for trial in January.
News Group Newspapers, now News UK, issued a scathing rebuke of the allegations, dismissing them as unjustified attacks on former journalists and staff. Judge Timothy Fancourt is expected to rule on the application to amend the lawsuit, having previously rejected News Group’s attempts to dismiss the case on procedural grounds.
Prince Harry’s legal battles against British tabloids are an expression of his longstanding crusade against what he considers press intrusion, fuelled by personal grievances stemming from his mother’s tragic death and the relentless scrutiny faced by his family.
With recent victories in similar lawsuits against Mirror Group Newspapers, Harry’s pursuit of justice in the face of media misconduct continues to make headlines, creating both enemies and supporters for himself