Prince Harry Accuses Tabloids of Intercepting Royal Family's Phone Calls

London, March 21 - Prince Harry has intensified his legal battle against News Group Newspapers (NGN), alleging that the publisher of The Sun tabloid was involved in the unlawful interception of phone calls made by his late mother, Princess Diana, and his father, now King Charles III. The Duke of Sussex's legal team is seeking permission from a High Court judge to incorporate these new allegations into his existing privacy lawsuit against NGN, a Rupert Murdoch-owned media entity.

According to Harry's attorney, David Sherborne, evidence has emerged, primarily from documents provided by NGN, indicating that the tabloid engaged in eavesdropping on Diana and Charles, who was then the Prince of Wales, as well as Camilla Parker Bowles, now Queen Camilla. This intrusion reportedly began when Harry was just nine years old. Sherborne highlighted that Diana had suspicions of being under surveillance, which were dismissed by the defendant's newspapers as paranoia. However, it has now been claimed that her concerns were valid and stemmed from NGN's illegal activities.

The lawsuit also references articles in The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World that contained information from private conversations between Diana and her confidants. This suggests that journalists and paparazzi had unauthorized access to her whereabouts, including therapy sessions.

These developments follow accusations made by Harry's lawyer implicating Rupert Murdoch in either participating in or ignoring the cover-up of illicit information gathering practices at his newspapers. Prince Harry is among 45 claimants, including celebrities like Hugh Grant and Guy Ritchie, alleging privacy violations by News Group journalists between 1994 and 2016.

The defense has criticized the timing and motive behind these new claims, suggesting they aim to attract media attention rather than address legal issues. NGN has dismissed the allegations as baseless attacks on its former journalists and executives. The case is tentatively scheduled for trial in January.

Prince Harry's legal actions against British tabloids stem from personal grievances with the press, including its role in the tragic death of his mother. His efforts have previously led to a significant court victory against Mirror Group Newspapers for phone hacking. In addition to a court judgment in his favor, he recently settled remaining allegations with an interim payment of 400,000 pounds (approximately USD 508,000). Harry also has an ongoing case against the Daily Mail's owner.

This legal pursuit underscores Prince Harry's broader crusade against press intrusion, which he cites as a major reason for relocating to the US with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. As this complex legal drama unfolds, it continues to draw attention to issues of privacy and media ethics.