In a legal showdown on Friday, the publishers of two UK newspapers failed
in their attempt to dismiss a case accusing them of unlawful information
gathering, brought forth by Prince Harry and others. This ruling paves the way
for a potential trial.
The younger son of King Charles III grabbed headlines earlier this year by
unexpectedly appearing in person at the High Court in London for this
particular case, having flown in from California.
Last year, Prince Harry, along with six other prominent figures, including pop
icon Elton John, initiated legal action upon discovering "compelling and
highly distressing evidence" that they were victims of abhorrent criminal
activity and severe breaches of privacy by Associated Newspapers Limited
(ANL).
Among the claimants are David Furnish, Elton John's husband, actors Liz Hurley
and Sadie Frost, politician Simon Hughes, and Doreen Lawrence, whose son
Stephen fell victim to a racist murder in 1993.
Despite arguments from ANL's lawyers, who publish the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, asserting that the claims were filed too late, Judge Matthew Nicklin, in a written ruling, disagreed, greenlighting the continuation of the case.
This ruling marks the latest episode in Prince Harry's tumultuous relationship with the media, a relationship he attributes to the tragic death of his mother, Princess Diana, in a 1997 Paris car crash as she sought to evade paparazzi.
