Prince Harry is taking a bold step into the high court today as he joins six other prominent figures in a legal battle against the publisher of the Daily Mail. The claim, which is expected to last 10 weeks, accuses Associated Newspapers Ltd of using unlawful information gathering methods to secure stories.
The duke, who flew in from California on Sunday, is part of a group that includes Doreen Lawrence, Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish, actress Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost. They allege that the Daily Mail used private investigators with "blagging" skills, listened to live landline calls, intercepted voicemail messages, and accessed medical records.
The claims date back as far as 1993 and are said to have continued until 2011. The group is seeking damages for the use of these unlawful methods, which they claim are a serious breach of their privacy.
In contrast, Associated Newspapers Ltd denies all allegations, describing them as "lurid" and "preposterous smears". However, the company has previously acknowledged that incidents of unlawful activity took place by private investigators working for the newspaper in the past.
This case is not the first time Prince Harry has taken legal action against a newspaper group. In 2023, he was awarded £140,600 in damages from Mirror Group Newspapers over the use of unlawful information gathering methods. Last year, he settled a claim against News Group Newspapers (NGN) for "serious intrusion" by the Sun between 1996 and 2011.
The cost of this case is expected to be substantial, with costs potentially reaching £38m. Regardless of the outcome, it marks an important step in holding those in power accountable for their actions.
The duke, who flew in from California on Sunday, is part of a group that includes Doreen Lawrence, Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish, actress Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost. They allege that the Daily Mail used private investigators with "blagging" skills, listened to live landline calls, intercepted voicemail messages, and accessed medical records.
The claims date back as far as 1993 and are said to have continued until 2011. The group is seeking damages for the use of these unlawful methods, which they claim are a serious breach of their privacy.
In contrast, Associated Newspapers Ltd denies all allegations, describing them as "lurid" and "preposterous smears". However, the company has previously acknowledged that incidents of unlawful activity took place by private investigators working for the newspaper in the past.
This case is not the first time Prince Harry has taken legal action against a newspaper group. In 2023, he was awarded £140,600 in damages from Mirror Group Newspapers over the use of unlawful information gathering methods. Last year, he settled a claim against News Group Newspapers (NGN) for "serious intrusion" by the Sun between 1996 and 2011.
The cost of this case is expected to be substantial, with costs potentially reaching £38m. Regardless of the outcome, it marks an important step in holding those in power accountable for their actions.
. Like, who doesn't love a good gossip column every now and then? But seriously though, if they're accusing the Daily Mail of using super invasive methods to get stories... I don’t know, it sounds pretty shady 
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. Like, what if the paparazzi did show up at Prince Harry’s house uninvited? Would that really be an invasion of his privacy? And what about all the other times he's gone on vacation and gotten paparazzi pics taken 
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. But it seems like some people are going after the Daily Mail for their methods without considering both sides of the story. I hope they can get to the bottom of this and figure out who's really at fault 
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. Those Daily Mail tactics sound sketchy at best 
. Can't blame them for wanting to take a stand against what they're saying is serious breach of trust... even if it means taking on the big guns 
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! It's about time someone from that level of influence spoke out against these invasive tactics and showed others that they won't be bullied around 
. I mean, 10 weeks is a long time, but at least it means justice might finally catch up with those shady private investigators 
. And let's be real, £38m costs? That's just peanuts for the amount of suffering these people went through 
. It's also super refreshing to see so many high-profile folks standing together against this kind of abuse 
. I'm all about holding those in power accountable and giving a voice to the marginalized – it's what makes me optimistic about our world 
!
I'm shocked these people didn't think twice about taking on the Daily Mail before now... I mean, they've been exposed multiple times for using shady tactics and yet they still keep going? It's like they're trying to suck the life out of journalists who actually do their job right. And Prince Harry is just getting started in this fight, good for him! 
The fact that he's taking on someone as influential as the Daily Mail shows he's not afraid to stand up for what's right. I'm all about accountability and it's about time someone took these types of newspapers down a peg. 
I think it's about accountability, but also about setting a precedent for others who may be affected by these kinds of invasive tactics. It's not just about him, it's about the impact on those whose private lives are invaded and manipulated for the sake of a story 
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. I mean, using private investigators to snoop on people's lives? That's just not cool. It's like they think they can get away with anything as long as they've got a pen and paper (or a screen, nowadays).
. But I guess it's worth it if it means holding these newspapers accountable for their actions. We need more people like Prince Harry speaking up about this kind of thing 
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It doesn't add up to me.
. We need more stories about those who get caught red-handed 
. dont know how much theyre gonna win but u gotta respect the duke for standin up 4 what's right 
. and btw, £38m? thatz a lotta cash!!! hope it goes towards protecting peoples privacy more 
i'm all for him taking a stand against this shady behavior, especially since he's been in my shoes before (pun intended) back in 2023. £140k was just the beginning tho 
so yeah, let's get behind prince harry on this one 
. It's wild that Prince Harry is going up against the Daily Mail again, but I think he's doing a great job of taking care of his mental well-being and holding those in power accountable for their actions 
. The fact that he's joined forces with other big-name folks like Sir Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley shows just how serious this is - we're not talking about some petty celeb drama, we're talking about people fighting for their right to privacy 
. And can we talk about how these people have been doing this kinda thing for decades? Like, since 1993?! That's some serious outdated journalism right there 
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I mean, who doesn't love a good ol' fashioned celebrity lawsuit? It's not like we're living in a world where billionaires and royals get away with breaking the law... 
. Let's see how this all plays out...
. I mean, isn't it time we started focusing on actual issues rather than just chasing after celebrities who want to make headlines?