The start of the trial is pushed back by an hourpublished at 10:35 Greenwich Mean Time
Imogen James
Live reporter
We have been waiting patiently this morning for the proceedings to begin, but the first request from David Sherborne, Prince Harry’s lawyer, is for a one-hour adjournment.
There are sighs in the room I am in, and murmurs begin between the press, as we get ready to sit for another hour.
What is Prince Harry alleging?published at 10:33 Greenwich Mean Time
Image source, Reuters
As we’ve been reporting, Prince Harry is suing News Group Newspapers (NGN) – the parent company of The Sun and the long-closed News of the World – over alleged intrusion into his personal life.
Though the prince’s allegations date back to 1996, he and his brother Prince William first became aware they may have been targeted in 2006.
The trial will look at a sample of around 30 stories published by NGN between 1996 and 2011 which the prince says contained information gathered by illegal means.
It marks the first time that NGN has had to defend itself against allegations that its journalists and executives across the whole organisation were involved in or knew about unlawful newsgathering techniques.
There will be hours of analysis of how the Sun got scoops such as “Emotional Harry rang Chelsy at midnight” – a story that ran almost 20 years ago to the day about his then-girlfriend, Chelsy Davy.
Murdoch spotted at Trump inaugurationpublished at 10:26 Greenwich Mean Time
Image source, Getty Images
Away from the London High Court, Rupert Murdoch, who owns News Corp, attended Donald Trump’s inauguration on Washington DC yesterday.
News Group Newspapers [NGN] is the British press arm of his media empire.
- We’ve got a separate live page running on Trump’s first official day back in the White House, which you can follow here
After more than 1,000 settlements, two claimants are leftpublished at 10:25 Greenwich Mean Time
Image source, Reuters
Actor Hugh Grant is one of many celebrities who have settled with News Group Newspapers over the past few years
News Group Newspapers (NGN) has settled cases brought by some 1,300 claimants, costing around £1bn including legal costs.
Actor Hugh Grant settled a privacy case against NGN last year – a case in which he claimed journalists had used private investigators to tap his phone and burgle his house. NGN denied the claims against it.
He said he “did not want to accept” the “enormous sum of money” he had been offered to settle, but that a trial was likely to prove “very expensive”.
Actress Sienna Miller and former footballer Paul Gascoigne agreed a settlement in 2021 with NGN over alleged phone hacking. NGN did not admit any liability in relation to allegations of phone hacking at The Sun newspaper.
Other celebrities to have settled cases include actresses Julia and Nadia Sawalha and Michelle Collins, ex-television presenter Dani Behr, singer Dane Bowers, and former Coronation Street actor Richard Fleeshman.
Two claimants are now left: the Duke of Sussex and Lord Tom Watson.
This is not the Prince Harry phone hacking casepublished at 10:19 Greenwich Mean Time
Imogen James
Live reporter
You would be forgiven if you thought this was the next instalment of the very public phone hacking case involving Prince Harry that took place over the last few years.
However that case was against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) a different group of publishers.
Prince Harry successfully argued that MGN had gathered information on him in unlawful ways, from 1996 to 2010 and MGN had to cover all of the Duke’s legal costs, and more than £300,000 in damages.
After the judgement, an MGN spokesperson said: “Where historical wrongdoing took place, we apologise unreservedly, have taken full responsibility and paid compensation.”.
Prince Harry also tried to bring phone hacking claims in this new case against News Group Newspapers, which includes The Sun, but he wasn’t allowed due to time limitations.
Instead, this case will focus on 30 articles, which Prince Harry’s team say were gained unlawfully. They will also argue that senior staff were involved in a cover up, alleging they knew about the unlawful practices.
Harry’s dramatic showdown awaitspublished at 10:10 Greenwich Mean Time
Sean Coughlan
Royal correspondent
Prince Harry will not be appearing at court in London for the first day of the News Group Newspapers hearing.
But he will be flying over from the US to give evidence, most likely next month.
This trial is going to be a marathon rather than a sprint. But when Prince Harry does appear it’s going to be one of the most dramatic moments in this courtroom showdown.
It made huge headlines when he appeared in a previous legal battle against the Mirror Group Newspapers in 2023 – becoming the first royal in modern times to go into the witness stand in this way.
He’s shown he’s ready to handle questions and he’s poised for another round.
The case against News Group Newspaperspublished at 10:04 Greenwich Mean Time
Image source, Reuters
Prince Harry has accused British tabloids of unlawfully intruding into his life.
His legal battle marks the first time that News Group Newspapers (NGN) has had to defend itself against allegations that its journalists and executives across the organisation were involved in or knew about unlawful newsgathering techniques.
NGN long ago apologised for unlawful practices at the News of the World newspaper, but denies similar claims against The Sun – and Prince Harry’s wider allegation of a corporate-wide cover-up.
It has settled cases brought by some 1,300 claimants, to the tune of around £1bn including legal costs. Those settlements left just two claimants – Prince Harry and former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson.
When he launched his claim, Prince Harry alleged that more than 200 articles published by NGN between 1996 and 2011 contained information gathered by illegal means. The trial will look at a sample of around 30 stories in detail.
The second claimant, Lord Watson, says his phone was targeted around the time he was investigating the Murdoch newspapers at the height of the scandal almost 15 years ago.
Good morning from courtpublished at 09:47 Greenwich Mean Time
Imogen James
Reporting from the High Court
I’m waiting inside the Rolls Building after battling through the commuter-filled streets of Holborn.
I walked past huddles of camera crews outside, although Prince Harry will not appear in court today.
I’m joined by a large group of press gathered outside the courtroom doors, where seats are limited.
Everyone is vying for a place.
We’re all waiting for the highly anticipated case to kick off today, where Prince Harry and Lord Watson will argue against News Group Newspapers.
Stay tuned.
Prince Harry to return to High Court for legal battle against News Group Newspaperspublished at 09:45 Greenwich Mean Time
Barbara Tasch
Live editor
Good morning and welcome to our coverage as an eight-week trial opens this morning at the High Court in London where Prince Harry will allege that the Sun – and its owner News Group Newspapers (NGN) – were involved in unlawful newsgathering.
The former Labour MP, Lord Watson, is also involved in the case and claims NGN used voicemail interception.
The Duke of Sussex’s legal battle against British tabloids for allegedly unlawfully intruding into his life reaches its most important moment today when his claims against the Sun and the long-closed News of the World, come to trial.
They the final two claimants in a case that has spanned almost two decades.
NGN long ago apologised for unlawful practices at the News of the World and closed it down in 2011. It denies similar claims against the Sun – and the Harry’s wider allegation of a corporate-wide cover-up.
We’ve got reporters at the High Court to bring you the latest updates, so stay with us.