'Daily Mail' legal battle: What Prince Harry told the court
What's the story
Prince Harry has alleged that the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday made him "paranoid beyond belief" through their alleged "unlawful" information gathering. The Duke of Sussex is one of seven high-profile claimants, including Elton John and Liz Hurley, suing the publisher Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL). They accuse ANL of committing "grave breaches of privacy" over a 20-year period.
Allegations detailed
Harry's lawyer claims every move was tracked
The prince's lawyer said in a written submission he felt his "every move, thought or feeling was being tracked and monitored just for the Mail to make money out of it." Other claimants in the lawsuit include actors Hurley and Sadie Frost, John and husband David Furnish, former Liberal Democrat MP Sir Simon Hughes, and campaigner Baroness Doreen Lawrence.
Publisher's defense
ANL denies allegations, claims articles sourced legitimately
ANL has denied the claimants' allegations, arguing that the duke's social circle was a known source of leaks to the press. Antony White KC, representing ANL, said none of the articles were complained about at publication time. He added that all articles were sourced legitimately from contacts including press officers and publicists.
Privacy invasion
ANL 'stole' John's son's birth certificate
David Sherborne, representing the claimants, alleged "systematic and sustained use of unlawful information gathering" by ANL. He cited 14 articles between 2001 and 2013 as evidence. John and Furnish accused ANL of "stealing" their son Zachary's birth certificate before they could see it themselves. They accused the publisher of invading medical details without consent.
Targeted intrusion
Baroness Lawrence alleges targeted invasion of privacy
Baroness Lawrence alleged she was targeted while seeking justice for her son Stephen's murder. She claimed she couldn't grieve privately due to the invasion of her privacy. Her allegations involve five articles from 1997 to 2007, written by Daily Mail crime correspondent Stephen Wright. The claims include payments for "special contacts re Stephen Lawrence" and using a "well-known blagger" to deceive her into speaking under false pretenses.
Legal history
Prince Harry's past legal victories against unlawful behavior
This is Prince Harry's third major court battle against newspaper groups for unlawful behavior. In December 2023, he won 15 claims against Mirror Group Newspapers for unlawfully gathering information about him. In January 2025, The Sun's publisher paid "substantial damages" and apologized to the prince over unlawful intrusion into his life.