Prince Harry is days away from learning the outcome of a lawsuit alleging historic unlawful information gathering at the Daily Mail, with the judgment due around the time of a high-profile visit to Britain in July.
The Duke of Sussex sued Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), publisher of the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday, alleging that journalists and private investigators intercepted his voicemail messages and targeted his former girlfriend, Chelsy Davy, including by obtaining her flight details unlawfully.
Harry is not the only claimant but one of seven public figures bringing the case against ANL, which has always denied the allegations and presented its journalists in court to give evidence.
A roughly 10-week trial began in January, and since it finished, Mr Justice Matthew Nicklin has been considering the evidence. He is due to hand down a written judgment on Tuesday.
Newsweek approached Harry’s representatives for comment.
Why It Matters
The timing means Harry’s upcoming visit to Britain to mark one year until the Invictus Games 2027 in Birmingham could be buoyed by a legal victory. However, if he loses, the ruling could add to an already-emotionally charged backdrop as he undertakes a series of public engagements that will attract significant media attention.
Harry and wife Meghan Markle are currently on course to bring their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, to the U.K. for the first time since 2022 but came close to canceling after being denied police protection. Newsweek has been told Harry was distraught when he found out last Friday, meaning emotions are already running high.
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Prince Harry’s Daily Mail Lawsuit
Nicklin’s judgment will be handed down digitally on Tuesday, with no in-person hearing at the High Court in London, where the case was heard.
The other six public figures are Sir Elton John, David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, Baroness Doreen Lawrence and Sir Simon Hughes, all of whom allege unlawful information gathering by journalists and private investigators at the Mail.
In Harry’s case, the court heard evidence that a freelance journalist suggested trying to “plant” a reporter on Davy’s plane after obtaining her seat number.
The prince’s legal team argued that the information could only have been obtained unlawfully, while Harry’s witness statement, seen by Newsweek, described the saga as “deeply disturbing.”
Elsewhere in the statement, Harry wrote that it was “disturbing to feel that my every move, thought or feeling was being tracked and monitored just for the Mail to make money out of it.”
The prince said the newspaper’s intrusion into his personal life put strain on his romantic relationships, “creating distrust and suspicion” and “driv[ing] me paranoid beyond belief, isolating me.”
The claimants allege that ANL journalists and private investigators used a range of illegal methods, including phone tapping, bugging homes and vehicles, obtaining medical records by deception and paying for confidential information.
Associated Newspapers has vigorously denied all allegations, arguing that its reporting was obtained lawfully through legitimate sources.
Among its witnesses, former diary editor Katie Nicholl said she was invited to a party by Harry during his younger years and Charlotte Griffiths, editor-at-large, produced Facebook messages between her and Harry.
In the messages from 2011 and 2012, Harry called her “sugar,” while Griffiths referred to him as “Mr Mischief.” Harry wrote in one: “Just wish I could have been there…especially now that you’re there! Dou ever work?!!…. Hope you’re really well Griff…Miss our movie snuggles!!”
For Harry, the judgment is particularly important because it is his last remaining major lawsuit against a British newspaper publisher. A victory would represent another landmark legal success in his campaign against tabloid practices, while a defeat would mark a disappointing end to one of the most ambitious press accountability cases brought by a member of the royal family.
Prince Harry and Meghan’s UK Visit With Archie and Lilibet
Harry and Meghan last week announced plans to travel to Britain with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet in July in what would be the children’s first visit to the U.K. since 2022. The trip is centered on the countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham and is due to include a series of engagements linked to Harry’s charitable and veterans’ work.
Harry will attend meetings connected to the Invictus Games at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, visit Birmingham Children’s Hospital to mark the 20th anniversary of its WellChild Nurse program, take part in a symposium on wounded, injured and sick service personnel, and attend an event for Scotty’s Little Soldiers, a charity for bereaved military children.
Harry and Meghan are also expected to appear together at an Invictus “one year to go” event at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre. Archie and Lilibet are not expected to participate in public engagements.
There is also intense interest in whether the visit could lead to a reunion with King Charles III. The king has not seen Archie and Lilibet in person since the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022.
Newsweek has been told Harry and Meghan plan to stay partly in a royal residence offered by the king and partly in private accommodation. That could mean a trip to Althorp, Princess Diana’s ancestral home, only a short time after what would have been her 65th birthday on July 1.
The visit, however, comes against the backdrop of Harry’s continuing concerns over security. Harry argued that it is unsafe to bring his wife and children to Britain without police protection and after being told he will not be getting it on Friday faces the prospect of bringing them into an environment he considers unsafe.
A threat assessment produced by his own security team, seen by ITV News, suggests the family will experience an “elevated” threat while in Britain.
How the Judgment May Impact the Visit
If Harry wins his lawsuit against the Daily Mail, it would provide a positive backdrop to the visit. If he loses, it could intensify what is already a highly charged period.
Harry would then have to undertake public visits at which he will be heavily scrutinized for any sign of emotion. There will be journalists at his events, but no Daily Mail journalists are expected to take on the more intimate “pool” positions available.
Harry’s visit is an opportunity to rebuild relations with his father—King Charles III—introduce his children to the country of his birth and draw attention to several of his major charitable initiatives. The one major issue that could get in the way is the charged emotional backdrop.
If the ruling on Harry’s security left him distraught then there is reason to anticipate that losing the case, if he does lose, might have a similar impact. In that respect, an adverse ruling in his lawsuit could complicate the visit.