London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

King Charles tried to stop Prince Harry's hacking claim, court hears

King Charles tried to stop Prince Harry's hacking claim, court hears

King Charles tried to stop the Duke of Sussex taking legal action against newspapers over alleged phone-hacking, court papers claim.

In a witness statement, Prince Harry said he was "summoned to Buckingham Palace" and told to drop the cases because of the effect on the family.

The duke is suing the publisher of the Sun, News Group Newspapers, over alleged unlawful information-gathering.

But NGN wants to stop his claim, saying he has run out of time to bring it.

The case is one of three major cases that Prince Harry has made against tabloid newspapers, all alleging unlawful information-gathering. The other cases concern the Daily Mirror and Daily Mail groups.

Prince Harry accuses the Sun's journalists and private investigators working for them of illegal intrusion into his personal life, dating back to when he was a teenager.

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."

Prince Harry said courtiers were "incredibly nervous" about a repeat of the damaging disclosure of an intimate phone call between his father and Camilla, the Queen Consort, which had been intercepted and published at a time when King Charles was still married to Diana.

NGN lawyers deny there was ever a secret agreement.

According to the court documents, Prince Harry said that by 2018 he had felt "frustrated that nothing had been resolved" and wanted to "force a resolution" to the phone-hacking claims.

He said Queen Elizabeth II supported an attempt to hold the publisher to its word and agree a settlement, and she gave consent for royal staff to email the newspaper group and raise the prospect of involving lawyers.

But when he ultimately decided to sue in 2019, Prince Harry claimed his father then tried to stop him.

"I was summoned to Buckingham Palace and specifically told to drop the legal actions because they have an 'effect on all the family'," said the duke.

"This was a direct request (or rather demand) from my father, Edward Young and my father's private secretary, Clive Alderton."


Prince William 'settled privately'


Prince Harry's court papers also claim that his brother, Prince William, was paid a "very large sum" by the owners of the Sun newspaper to settle his own historical phone-hacking claims.

The payment was made in 2020 - but the documents do not disclose the amount Prince William settled for and do not have the details of what it related to.

The Prince of Wales' spokesman said he would not comment on ongoing legal proceedings.

NGN has denied that any secret agreement existed, with Anthony Hudson KC saying the prince's claim was "flatly inconsistent" with other parts of his case and there was "extreme vagueness" surrounding the circumstances of the alleged deal.

He said Prince Harry had not said who made the agreement, who it applied to, when it was made, or a date when it was meant to expire.

The Sun's owners say the prince's claim for damages should be scrapped because he had run out of time - and are applying to end his case.

If they succeed in their application it could block a similar high-profile damages claim from the actor Hugh Grant.

Lawyers for Mr Grant are also opposing the newspaper's bid to end the case over this week's three-day hearing.

At the conclusion of the hearing the judge will determine whether their claims will progress to a trial, due to be heard in January next year.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×