London (CNN) – Britain’s Prince Harry has arrived at the High Court in London for a hearing in his claim against Associated Newspapers Limited for illegal information gathering.
The Duke of Sussex joined a group of high-profile figures, including singer Elton John, last year in suing the publisher of the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and Mail Online.
The suit accuses Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) of using various criminal means to obtain information about the personalities over the years.
Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, David Furnish and Doreen Lawrence make up the rest of the plaintiffs in the legal action.
They claimed they were “victims of reprehensible criminal activity and serious breaches of privacy,” according to a statement from their representatives at the time.
The group accused ANL of hiring private investigators to carry out illegal acts such as placing wiretaps in homes and cars and recording private calls. It also claims that the publisher would pay corrupt police officers to obtain inside information, engage in impersonation and deception to obtain medical records, and hack into bank accounts and financial transactions “by illegal means and manipulation”.
A four-day preliminary hearing begins Monday at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, during which the ANL is expected to try to dismiss the case.
Elton John arrives to his position as a claimant at the Royal Courts of Justice, followed by his husband, David Furnish (rear, left) on March 27, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
The publisher dismissed the allegations as an “absurd slander” and dismissed the suit as a “pre-planned and coordinated attempt to drag mail addresses into a wiretapping scandal,” BA Media reported.
An ANL spokesperson added that the allegations are “unfounded and deeply defamatory allegations, not based on credible evidence”, according to UK news agency PA Media.
The lawsuit against ANL is one of several that Prince Harry has filed in recent years.
He also sued the ANL after the Mail on Sunday newspaper published an article about his legal action against the British Home Office over the security measures of his family during his visit to Britain.
Meanwhile, he sued the owners of the British newspapers The Sun and Daily Mirror in 2019 alleging a historic phone hack. The case against the Daily Mirror editor is due to go to trial in May.
The 38-year-old prince’s surprise appearance in London on Monday is believed to be his first trip back to the UK since he and his wife Meghan attended Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September.
In the months that followed, the Sussexes released a Netflix documentary series and The Duke’s Diary, which provided more insight into his fractured relationship with the rest of the royal family.
A royal source told CNN that Harry is not expected to see his brother, the Prince of Wales. The source added that Prince William is not in Windsor since it is a school holiday.
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