Prince Harry prepares to return to the witness box at London’s High Court as his privacy lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail resumes, marking his second court appearance in three years over press conduct.
The Duke of Sussex, 41, joins six other high-profile claimants including musician Elton John in legal action against Associated Newspapers, accusing the company of widespread privacy violations spanning the early 1990s to the early 2010s.
Associated Newspapers strongly denies the claims, describing them as unfounded and insisting its journalists relied on legitimate sources such as public statements and information from acquaintances.
Harry is expected to become the first witness in the trial, with testimony now likely to begin on Wednesday rather than Thursday as initially scheduled. His case focuses on 14 published articles that his lawyers allege were produced through unlawful practices including phone hacking, surveillance, and deceptive information gathering.
The publisher counters that Harry’s social circle frequently shared information and that reporting often drew from official royal briefings.
The lawsuit, launched in 2022, pulls Daily Mail titles into the broader phone-hacking scandal that has shadowed parts of the British press for years. Other claimants including actors Liz Hurley and Sadie Frost, campaigner Doreen Lawrence, and former MP Simon Hughes are expected to testify during the nine-week trial.
For Harry, who has repeatedly criticised tabloid culture and linked it to the death of his mother Princess Diana, the case represents the final chapter in his long-running legal battle against the British press.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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