Prince Harry makes surprise showing at UK privacy case

LONDON: Britain’s Prince Harry on Monday made an unexpected appearance at London’s high court when he arrived for a hearing in his claim against a newspaper publisher over allegations of unlawful information gathering.

The publisher of the Daily Mail, Associated Newspapers, is bidding to end the high court claims brought by high-profile figures, including Harry and singer Elton John, over alleged unlawful activity at its titles.

Harry, who now lives in California ater quitting royal duties in 2019, was pictured arriving at the court in central London.

Others taking part in the legal action include actresses Liz Hurley, Sadie Frost, John’s husband David Furnish and Doreen Lawrence, the mother of murder victim Stephen Lawrence.

The group launched the legal action last year ater becoming aware of “compelling and highly distressing evidence that they have been the victims of abhorrent criminal activity and gross breaches of privacy” by Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), according to a statement by law firm Hamlins released in October 2022.

Hamlins has alleged that the unlawful acts included hiring private investigators to secretly place listening devices inside cars and homes and the recording of private phone conversations.

Associated Newspapers has described the allegations as “preposterous smears” and a “pre-planned and orchestrated atempt to drag the Mail titles into the phone-hacking scandal.”

Britain’s phone hacking scandal, which first blew up in 2006, saw journalists at the Rupert Murdoch-owned News of the World hack into the voicemails of royals, celebrities and murder victims.

It triggered the closure of the mass-selling Sunday tabloid, a mammoth police investigation, a judge-led inquiry and criminal charges that gripped Britain for years.

A spokesperson for ANL also said the allegations were “unsubstantiated and highly defamatory claims, based on no credible evidence.”