Meghan Markle may have settled her lawsuit with the Mail on Sunday, but she and Prince Harry may have another legal battle on their hands. Harry has sued the Sun, the News of the World, and the Daily Mirror, accusing them of illegally intercepting his phone messages. Here’s where the case stands now.
Will Harry Settle Out Of Court?
This case is expected to make it all the way to court, with Harry claiming damages of over £200,000. In court documents, he said the phone hacking affected his relationships with friends and family, causing him to have a breakdown in trust with those closest to him. Some of the articles he points to relate to his relationship with Chelsy Davy, which ended in 2010.
Phone-hacking is nothing new for British celebs and members of the royal family, but this case might be the first of its kind for another reason. Most victims of phone hacking settle out of court, with the newspapers who did the hacking more than willing to pay a financial settlement. However, Harry shows no signs of settling.
News Group Newspapers does admit Harry’s phone was hacked by News of the World royal correspondent Clive Goodman and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire. However, they claim that Harry’s lawsuit is coming too late. Two of the articles they admit were based on the phone hacking, both about disagreements Harry had with Davis and Prince Andrew were published in 2006 and 2005, respectively.
According to their filing, “These were first published over six years prior to the issue of these proceedings and this claim is therefore statute-barred and it is denied that [Prince Harry] is entitled to any relief in relation to it.” News Group also challenges the charge of hacking against the Sun.
Meghan Markle’s Legal Battles With The Press
Some think Harry’s determination to get this case in front of a judge is due to Markle’s lawsuit against the Mail on Sunday after the paper published a private letter from the duchess to her father. She spoke of a desire to change the way tabloids operate, hoping for a new mode that “rewards chaos above truth.”
While Harry’s refusal to settle out of court is notable, it also means he risks having to pay his legal fees out of his own pocket if the judge doesn’t rule in his favor. However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are wealthy enough to make this a non-issue.
The couple seems poised to make a real change, with Markle saying, “What matters most is that we are now collectively brave enough to reshape a tabloid industry that conditions people to be cruel, and profits from the lies and pain that they create.”
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