Prince Harry trial; court rules that parts of Prince Harry's case against NGN can go ahead

Prince Harry has been granted permission to proceed with his damages claim against the publisher of The Sun in the High Court, it was announced this morning. The Duke of Sussex alleges that he was unlawfully targeted by journalists and private investigators working for News Group Newspapers (NGN), including The Sun and the now-defunct News Of The World, and is seeking damages for the alleged wrongdoing.

At a previous hearing in April, NGN had requested Mr Justice Fancourt to dismiss Prince Harry's case, arguing that it was brought too late, as he should have known about the potential claim earlier. However, in May, Mr Justice Fancourt ruled in favour of actor Hugh Grant, allowing his claim against NGN over alleged unlawful information gathering to proceed to trial in January, however, the phone hacking aspects of his lawsuit will not be able to go to trial, in a minor victory for the newsgroup.

Prince Harry, who has been involved in multiple legal battles at the High Court in recent months, is among several individuals taking legal action against major newspaper publishers over privacy and alleged unlawful practices. His civil litigation also includes legal challenges against the Home Office concerning his personal security.

Hugh Grant is suing NGN specifically in relation to The Sun, as he had previously settled a claim with the publisher in 2012 regarding the News Of The World. NGN has settled several claims related to the phone-hacking scandal involving the News of the World, which was closed in 2011, but has consistently denied any unlawful information gathering at The Sun.