Prince Harry's landline calls were bugged by Murdoch papers, lawyers say

Prince Harry's lawyers have accused Rupert Murdoch's tabloids, including The Sun and the defunct News of the World, of illegally tapping his landline and intercepting Princess Diana's pager messages.

Harry is among over 40 individuals suing News Group Newspapers (NGN) for alleged journalist and investigator misconduct from the mid-1990s to 2016. Despite a July ruling allowing Harry to bring a trial for unlawful information gathering, claims of old mobile phone hacking were dismissed for being too late.

At a recent High Court hearing, Harry's legal team attempted to update his lawsuit with new allegations, including claims of targeting his wife Meghan in 2016 and extensive phone call bugging. The updated claim also includes charges of illegal surveillance and hacking against Princess Diana by NGN.

NGN has contested the new allegations for being untimely, lacking proof, and already dismissed in previous hacking claims. They argue the allegations, publicized for up to 30 years, are beyond the current case's scope. NGN's lawyer suggested that incorporating these accusations could delay Harry's case, expected to start in January next year.

NGN, which settled over 1,300 claims after the 2011 phone-hacking scandal and subsequent closure of News of the World, denies any Sun staff wrongdoing. Harry's representatives assert Murdoch and other executives covered up misconduct, giving false testimony to courts, parliament, and an inquiry.

NGN claims the lawsuits are attacks on the tabloid press and accuses claimants of slandering their staff's integrity. Since leaving royal duties for California in 2020, Harry has focused on challenging the British media, which he accuses of invading his privacy and spreading falsehoods.

Last December, Harry won a case against Mirror Group Newspaper, with the judgment acknowledging that senior figures knew of the illicit activities.