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Prince William privately settled phone-hacking claim, court told King Charles tried to stop Prince Harry's hacking claim, court hears
(about 4 hours later)
Prince William was paid a "very large sum" by the owners of the Sun newspaper to settle historical phone-hacking claims, court papers say. King Charles tried to stop the Duke of Sussex taking legal action against newspapers over alleged phone-hacking, court papers claim.
The payment in 2020 was revealed in papers from Prince Harry's lawyers as part of his legal action against News Group Newspapers at the High Court. In a witness statement, Prince Harry said he was "summoned to Buckingham Palace" and told to drop the cases because of the effect on the family.
The Duke of Sussex is suing the publisher over alleged unlawful information gathering. The duke is suing the publisher of the Sun, News Group Newspapers, over alleged unlawful information-gathering.
But NGN says he has run out of time to bring a claim. But NGN wants to stop the claim, saying Harry has run out of time to bring it.
The documents do not disclose the amount Prince William settled for and do not have the details of what it related to. A spokesman for the Prince of Wales said they would not comment on ongoing legal proceedings. The case is one of three major cases that Prince Harry has made against tabloid newspapers, all alleging unlawful information-gathering. The other cases concern the Daily Mirror and Daily Mail groups.
'Secret agreement' Prince Harry accuses the Sun's journalists and private investigators working for them of illegal intrusion into his personal life, dating back to when he was a teenager.
According to Prince Harry's witness statement, the newspaper owners struck a "secret agreement" with officials at Buckingham Palace to put off legal claims from members of the Royal Family. In documents revealed at the High Court on Tuesday, Harry claimed that Buckingham Palace and the newspaper group had struck a backroom deal - which is why he did not bring a claim earlier. He said he first became aware of the alleged deal in around 2012.
That alleged agreement, the details of which has not been disclosed in court, had delayed Prince Harry from bringing his own case, his lawyers say. He said that under the deal, courtiers had secretly agreed that members of the Royal Family would put off legal claims, and the newspaper group purportedly promised to one day settle out-of-court, so as to spare the Royal Family embarrassment.
The prince says that he first became aware of the alleged deal in around 2012.
At that time, he learnt that royal staff were starting legal action for phone hacking - and he believed he and his brother had been personally targeted too.
When the brothers consulted officials or the Royal Family's top solicitor, he says they were told that they could not begin their own legal action.
Sun publisher sets aside £127m for hacking cases
Prince Harry at centre of phone-hacking trial
"The rationale behind this was that a secret agreement had been reached between the institution and senior executives at News Group Newspapers, whereby members of the Royal Family would bring phone hacking claims only at the conclusion of [all other cases] and at that stage the claims would be admitted or settled with an apology," the statement said.
"The reason for this was to avoid the situation where a member of the Royal Family would have to sit in the witness box and recount the specific details of the private and highly-sensitive voicemails that had been intercepted.""The reason for this was to avoid the situation where a member of the Royal Family would have to sit in the witness box and recount the specific details of the private and highly-sensitive voicemails that had been intercepted."
Prince Harry said courtiers were "incredibly nervous" about a repeat of the damaging disclosure of an intimate phone call between his father and Camilla, the Queen Consort, which had been intercepted and published at a time when King Charles was still married to Diana.Prince Harry said courtiers were "incredibly nervous" about a repeat of the damaging disclosure of an intimate phone call between his father and Camilla, the Queen Consort, which had been intercepted and published at a time when King Charles was still married to Diana.
"This agreement, including the promises from NGN for delayed resolution was, obviously, a major factor as to why no claim was brought by me at that time," said Prince Harry. NGN lawyers deny there was ever a secret agreement.
His barrister, David Sherborne, said the Queen and two of her private secretaries were involved in "discussions and authorisation" over the alleged agreement, as well as private secretaries for William and Harry. According to the court documents, Harry said by 2018 he had felt "frustrated that nothing had been resolved" and wanted to "force a resolution" to the phone-hacking claims.
NGN denies any deal existed. He said the late Queen supported an attempt to hold the publisher to its word and agree a settlement, and she gave consent for royal staff to email the newspaper group and raise the prospect of involving lawyers.
Anthony Hudson KC, for NGN, said the duke's allegation that there was a secret agreement was "flatly inconsistent" with other parts of his case and there was "extreme vagueness" surrounding the circumstances of the alleged deal. But when he ultimately decided to sue in 2019, Prince Harry claimed his father then tried to stop him.
He said Prince Harry did not say who made the agreement, who it applied to, when it was made, or a date when it was meant to expire. "I was summoned to Buckingham Palace and specifically told to drop the legal actions because they have an 'effect on all the family'," said the duke.
Other cases "This was a direct request (or rather demand) from my father, Edward Young and my father's private secretary, Clive Alderton."
This case is one of three major cases that the Duke of Sussex has made against tabloid newspapers, all alleging unlawful information gathering. The other cases concern the Daily Mirror and Daily Mail groups. Prince William 'settled privately'
He alleges that evidence disclosed since the criminal trials - which related to phone hacking at the now-closed News of the World - prove he was serially targeted by its sister title, the Sun. Prince Harry's court papers also claim that his brother, Prince William, was paid a "very large sum" by the owners of the Sun newspaper to settle his own historical phone-hacking claims.
Prince Harry accuses its journalists and private investigators working for them of obtaining private and confidential information from when he was 11 or 12-years-old - including details on his personal life and movements. The payment was made in 2020 - but the documents do not disclose the amount Prince William settled for and do not have the details of what it related to.
A spokesman for the Prince of Wales said they would not comment on ongoing legal proceedings.
Sun publisher sets aside £127m for hacking cases
Prince Harry at centre of phone-hacking trial
Kate Middleton 'voicemails hacked'Kate Middleton 'voicemails hacked'
Prince Harry message 'was hacked'Prince Harry message 'was hacked'
The Sun's owners say that the Duke of Sussex's claim for damages should be scrapped because he has run out of time - and are applying to end Prince Harry's case. NGN has denied that any secret agreement existed, with Anthony Hudson KC saying Harry's claim was "flatly inconsistent" with other parts of his case and there was "extreme vagueness" surrounding the circumstances of the alleged deal.
He said Prince Harry had not said who made the agreement, who it applied to, when it was made, or a date when it was meant to expire.
The Sun's owners say that the Duke of Sussex's claim for damages should be scrapped because Prince Harry has run out of time - and are applying to end his case.
If they succeed in their application it could block a similar high-profile damages claim from the actor Hugh Grant.If they succeed in their application it could block a similar high-profile damages claim from the actor Hugh Grant.
Lawyers for Mr Grant are also opposing the newspaper's bid to end the case over this week's three-day hearing.Lawyers for Mr Grant are also opposing the newspaper's bid to end the case over this week's three-day hearing.
At the conclusion of the hearing the judge will determine whether their claims will progress to a trial, due to be heard in January next year.At the conclusion of the hearing the judge will determine whether their claims will progress to a trial, due to be heard in January next year.
Related TopicsRelated Topics
UK Royal Family
Prince Harry, Duke of SussexPrince Harry, Duke of Sussex
The Royal Family and the mediaThe Royal Family and the media
Prince William, Prince of WalesPrince William, Prince of Wales
Phone HackingPhone Hacking