The Duke of Sussex has been granted permission to pursue privacy claims against Associated Newspapers, as a judge’s ruling allows the case to proceed to trial. The newspaper publishers sought to halt the case, arguing that allegations of dishonest information acquisition were time-barred.
Despite strong denials from Associated Newspapers, the judge has given the green light for the case involving Prince Harry and other prominent claimants, including Sir Elton John, David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, Sir Simon Hughes, and Baroness Doreen Lawrence. The claims involve “gross breaches of privacy,” such as alleged bugging devices, phone call eavesdropping, and illicit obtaining of medical and financial information.
Prince Harry, engaged in an ongoing battle with the UK tabloid press, unexpectedly appeared at London’s High Court during the initial March hearing. While the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday publishers dismissed the allegations as “preposterous smears,” they also argued that the claims exceeded the six-year time limit. Despite some allegations dating back decades, the judge ruled in favor of allowing the claims to proceed, setting the stage for a future court hearing.
This decision raises the possibility of Prince Harry making another in-person court appearance, following his earlier testimony in a hacking claim against Mirror Group Newspapers, where he became the first senior royal in modern times to do so. The outcome of that case is still pending.
