Prince Harry is not yet headed to the U.K. despite his ongoing trial against News Group Newspapers (NGN), which owns The Sun.
Us Weekly has learned that Harry, 40, will not attend the first day of the NGN trial on Tuesday, January 21. The Duke of Sussex is set to testify in court next month, debunking false reports about supposed offers for security coverage during his visit.
Reports suggested earlier this month that Harry would fly back to the U.K. solo as his legal battle against various tabloids continues. The hearing, which officially starts on Tuesday, will last eight weeks.
Harry is suing NGN, alleging that the company utilized unlawful information gathering for stories published in their tabloids. NGN previously admitted that News of the World, which closed in 2011, took part in phone hacking. They’ve since claimed that there was no wrongdoing at The Sun.
Prince Harry’s 2nd Unlawful Info Gathering Case Will Go to Trial
Harry further claimed in April 2023 that his brother, Prince William, settled with NGN for a “very large sum” in 2020. Harry alleged in his court filing that the royal family had a “secret agreement” with NGN, preventing members from filing lawsuits against the company. (NGN has denied this claim, and a judge stated that Harry failed to produce any evidence regarding this allegation.)
It was initially ruled in July 2023 that Harry’s case against NGN could move forward on allegations of unlawful information gathering. However, Harry’s claims of phone hacking were thrown out by Judge Timothy Fancourt because the allegations fell outside the six-year statute of limitations.
Harry previously went up against the U.K. media as part of a group who sued Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) — which owns the Daily Mail — for allegedly hacking celebrities’ voicemails to obtain personal information. Harry took the stand in June 2023, making him the first royal family to do so in 130 years.
Prince Harry’s Many Legal Cases Explained: Phone Hacking and More
Court documents obtained by Us in December 2023 revealed that a judge ruled in Harry’s favor and there was “sufficient proof” that MGN “engaged in unlawful information gathering, including phone hacking.”
This win marked a major milestone in Harry’s ongoing legal battles.
He previously sued Associated Newspapers Limited for defamation. A judge ruled in July 2022 that the trial could move forward, but Harry withdrew the case in January 2024. The prince is also going up against Associated Newspapers Limited, alleging that they also took part in phone hacking. The media company denied the allegations, arguing that Harry’s claims are too old for legal action. A preliminary hearing in November 2024 stated a judge’s “broad objective” to start trial in January 2026.
