Prince Harry Accuses Royal Family of Withholding Information on Phone Hacking by Tabloids

Prince Harry has accused the royal family of withholding information about phone hacking by tabloids, leading to a delay in filing a lawsuit against the publisher of The Daily Mail.

The Duke of Sussex is one of several high-profile names suing Associated Papers, which owns the Daily Mail, over allegations of phone tapping and other invasions of privacy. In a written filing of his testimony, Harry said he was unaware of the alleged invasions by Associated Papers before 2019, when he sought legal counsel outside the royal family.

In court this week, Harry said that “the Institution” — a term he has used in other contexts to refer to the inner workings of Buckingham Palace — had prevented him from learning sooner about the activity of The Daily Mail and related publications. He said the years of not knowing about the alleged breaches of privacy created a sense of paranoia and strained personal relationships.

Lawyers for the newspaper argued that the case should be thrown out because Harry didn’t file it soon enough. The case is ongoing and a decision is expected in the coming weeks.

Prince Harry’s testimony has raised questions about the royal family’s handling of the phone hacking allegations and the extent of their knowledge of the activity of tabloids. The outcome of the case could have implications for the royal family and the future of the monarchy.