Was the prince spied on? Harry takes legal action against newspaper - it could be expensive for the royal
A showdown between Prince Harry and the English newspaper "Sun" takes place in a London courtroom. What is driving the royal? It could be a costly trial for Prince Harry.
21.01.2025, 22:02
dpa
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- Prince Harry, together with Tom Watson, is suing the publisher of The Sun for alleged illegal research methods such as the interception of voice messages.
- The publisher NGN rejects the allegations, but emphasizes that similar practices were widespread in the 1990s, which led to a major bugging scandal and high compensation payments.
- Harry is pursuing a personal mission with the lawsuit against the press, which he holds partly responsible for the suffering of his family, including the death of Princess Diana.
The trial in Prince Harry's civil lawsuit against the publisher of the British tabloid newspaper "The Sun" begins today.
The son of King Charles III (76) is expected to take the witness stand himself during the course of the trial, which is scheduled to last ten weeks.
What is the accusation?
Prince Harry (40) and his co-plaintiff, ex-Labour politician Tom Watson, accuse the "Sun" journalists of spying on them, including by intercepting voice messages.
Other dubious research methods are also under discussion, such as the use of private detectives.
They want to prove this by means of articles which, in their opinion, would not have come about without such means.
What is the publisher's position?
US media mogul Rupert Murdoch's publishing house NGN (News Group Newspapers) insists that there were no such practices at the "Sun". There is said to have been no knowledge of illegal practices in the boardroom.
The alleged offenses at the "Sun" date back to the 1990s. It is undisputed that illegal methods such as the interception of voice messages were widespread at some British newspapers during the period in question.
The bugging scandal reached its peak in 2011. The weekly newspaper "News of the World", which belonged to NGN, was discontinued as a result. The publisher apologized. According to the BBC, the scandal cost the media company more than one billion pounds (currently around 1.18 billion euros) in compensation and legal costs.
It could also be expensive for Harry
Prince Harry is taking a major financial risk with the lawsuit, which has prevented actor Hugh Grant (64), among others, from continuing to participate in the former class action lawsuit.
If a plaintiff in the UK rejects the settlement offer, he must pay the entire legal fees - including those of the other side - as well as the legal costs if he is subsequently awarded less than the settlement amount offered as compensation.
Ex-footballer Paul Gascoine (57), former Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm (51) and many others initially joined the lawsuit. However, they also reached an out-of-court settlement with NGN.
What drives Prince Harry?
The royal is leading a veritable crusade against the "tabloid press", as the tabloid press is known in the UK. He wants to show that the methods were systematic. "No one is better placed to pull this off than me," he once said in the documentary "Tabloids on Trial" on British TV channel ITV. He was fighting this on behalf of everyone, said the Royal.
He had also repeatedly made it clear that he blamed the accidental death of his mother Princess Diana in Paris in 1997 on the paparazzi who were hot on her and her companions' heels at the time. He hinted several times that he feared his wife Meghan (43) could suffer a similar fate.
He also blames his departure from the inner circle of the royal family, which he and Meghan completed a good five years ago, and the rift with relatives on both sides partly on the tabloid media, which has followed him at every turn since his childhood.
