Prince Harry’s Legal Battle Against Murdoch’s UK Newspapers Delayed
British Royal and Former MP Tom Watson Sue News Group Newspapers Over Alleged Unlawful Practices
The highly anticipated court battle between Prince Harry and Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper group has been postponed at London’s High Court, as last-minute settlement discussions continue between the two sides.
Prince Harry and former senior MP Tom Watson are suing News Group Newspapers (NGN) over allegations of unlawful activities committed by journalists and private investigators working for its publications, The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World, between 1996 and 2011.
At what was meant to be the start of an eight-week trial, Harry and Watson’s lawyer, David Sherborne, requested additional time from Judge Timothy Fancourt to further negotiate a resolution.
Fancourt granted the request but warned that this would be the “last adjournment,” emphasizing that if no settlement was reached, the trial would proceed as scheduled.
Sherborne later sought further delays, a request backed by NGN’s lawyer, Anthony Hudson, who cited “time difference difficulties,” possibly referencing Harry’s residence in California.
The judge expressed skepticism that court filings would impact settlement talks, but Hudson noted that certain matters arising once the trial commenced could significantly affect negotiations. However, Fancourt refused further postponements, stating that some legal representatives could continue settlement discussions while the trial moved forward.
When Hudson requested a private discussion, Fancourt firmly responded, “I’m not going to start having secret hearings about what’s going on.” The judge also denied permission to appeal, though he acknowledged that an appeal directly to the Court of Appeal could still be pursued.
Hundreds of Previous Settlements
Prince Harry has repeatedly stated that his primary objective is accountability, not financial gain. He has argued that previous claimants settled out of court to avoid the financial risk of a costly legal battle, even when rejecting NGN’s offers.
“One of the main reasons for seeing this through is accountability, because I’m the last person that can actually achieve that,” Harry stated last month. He is expected to testify in February.
NGN has already paid out hundreds of millions of pounds in settlements related to phone-hacking and other unlawful information-gathering practices, resolving over 1,300 lawsuits brought by celebrities, politicians, sports figures, and individuals linked to high-profile events.
Harry’s legal team has previously claimed that his older brother, Prince William, the heir to the throne, privately settled his own lawsuit against NGN in 2020 for a “very large sum of money.”
Although Murdoch shut down the News of the World in 2011 amid the scandal, NGN has consistently denied any wrongdoing at The Sun and has vowed to fully contest the claims.