Prince Harry's phone-hacking lawsuit against Daily Mail to go to trial in 2026

London — 

Prince Harry and different high-profile British figures' privateness lawsuits against the Daily Mail newspaper's steadfast volition spell to proceedings successful aboriginal 2026, London's High Court heard connected Tuesday, with the parties' ineligible costs acceptable to transcend $47 million.

Harry, the younger lad of King Charles, is 1 of 7 claimants suing Associated Newspapers implicit allegations of voicemail interception – commonly known arsenic phone-hacking – and different superior privateness breaches dating backmost 30 years.

Associated, which besides publishes the Mail connected Sunday, has ever denied engagement successful unlawful practices. Its lawyers said successful filings for a preliminary proceeding connected Tuesday that the claimants' allegations were "firmly denied."

The publisher's effort to propulsion retired the lawsuits was rejected past year, paving the mode for a proceedings which the claimants and Associated accidental should statesman successful aboriginal 2026.

Lawyers representing the claimants, who besides see vocalist Elton John and actors Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost, expect to walk astir $22 cardinal up to and including the trial, with Associated incurring astir $24 million, according to tribunal filings made nationalist connected Tuesday.

Harry and the different claimants' lawsuits, which were filed successful 2022, marked the archetypal clip Associated had been dragged into the phone-hacking scandal, which emerged much than a decennary agone and prompted a nationalist enquiry into the morals of the property and respective transgression trials.

It besides sparked long-running litigation against Rupert Murdoch's British paper arm, News Group Newspapers, and the steadfast of the Daily Mirror, Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN).

Harry's lawsuit against Associated is 1 of respective helium has brought against British media organizations arsenic portion of his "mission" to purge executives and editors whom helium accuses of spreading lies and intruding into people's lives.

The prince accepted important damages from MGN to settee the remainder of his phone-hacking lawsuit, having been awarded astir $178,000 aft the High Court ruled helium had been targeted by journalists.

Harry's lawsuit against News Group Newspapers is owed to spell to proceedings successful January.