Prince Harry was subjected to a “sustained campaign of attacks” after challenging Britain’s powerful Daily Mail over alleged intrusions into his private life, his lawyer told the High Court on Tuesday, January 20.
The Duke of Sussex, 41, alongside six other high-profile claimants, is pursuing legal action against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail, over claims of unlawful information gathering.
Other claimants in the case include singer Elton John, filmmaker David Furnish, actress Liz Hurley, Sadie Frost, Doreen Lawrence, and former MP Simon Hughes. They accuse Associated of violating their privacy over more than two decades, dating back to the early 1990s.
The allegations include hacking voicemail messages, bugging landlines, and obtaining confidential information through deception, a practice commonly known as “blagging.”
Associated Newspapers has strongly denied the claims, dismissing them as smears and insisting its journalists acted legally, relying on legitimate sources from “gossipy social circles,” contacts, and press officers. The company argues the accusations are based on “spurious or discredited information from private investigators.”
Harry’s lawyer, David Sherborne, told the court that “no one sold more copies” for UK tabloids than the prince, pointing to the intense media scrutiny he endured for years, particularly before he met his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
Sherborne said the reporting focused in an “intrusive and damaging” way on Harry’s relationships, citing 14 articles that allegedly included private details about travel plans, friendships, and romantic connections. He said the coverage left Harry feeling “distress and paranoia.”
“Given what we’ve seen, is it any wonder that he feels that way,” Sherborne said, adding that Harry believed he was targeted for “having had the temerity to stand up” to the publisher.
The lawsuit forms part of Harry’s broader campaign against the media, shaped in part by the death of his mother, Princess Diana, in 1997 during a high-speed pursuit by paparazzi.
The hearings are expected to run for nine weeks, with the claimants set to give evidence about how they believe private investigators unlawfully obtained information for journalists.