Two days after it was announced that Duchess Meghan would be taking legal action against the Mail on Sunday, it was revealed yesterday that Prince Harry is beginning legal action against the owners of the Sun, the now-defunct News of the World, and the Sunday and Daily Mirrors over alleged phone hacking.
Buckingham Palace confirmed that last week documents were filed on Prince Harry’s behalf over alleged illegal interception of his voicemail messages.
Jonny Dymond, the BBC's royal correspondent, says it is presumed that these allegations against News Group Newspapers (owners of the Sun and News of the World) go back to the infamous phone-hacking scandal of the early 2000s, where it was alleged that several members of the Royal Family had also been affected. It was allegations of phone hacking at News of the World that led to its closure in 2011. But it’s not clear yet when Harry’s claims against the Mirror are from.
Explicit details might remain unclear for a while yet as after someone files papers with a court, they have four months to decide whether they are going to go through with the action, so all eyes will be on Prince Harry and the papers involved.
The Mirror group and News Group Newspapers settled claims with celebrities including Hugh Grant, Elton John, and very recently Heather Mills, who settled her claims against NGN this year.
This news comes days after the Duke of Sussex surprised many by releasing a statement accompanying wife Meghan’s announcement of legal action against the Mail on Sunday. In the statement he expressed how he felt about the intense coverage of the couple, particularly Meghan while she was on maternity leave, accusing the British tabloid press of “relentless propaganda.”
He also wrote: "I've seen what happens when someone I love is commoditised to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person.