The Queen 'agreed to threaten legal action over phone hacking claims', Prince Harry court documents show
27 April 2023, 05:35 | Updated: 27 April 2023, 07:08
An email from Buckingham Palace shows the Queen 'approved threatening News International with legal action' over phone hacking accusations, court documents claim.
The email is part of a raft of evidence submitted in court documents by Prince Harry, who is suing News Group Newspapers (NGN) over alleged phone hacking, which he says included listening to private voicemails.
The Duke of Sussex's legal team have outlined 208 articles about him in The Sun, as well as the News of the World, which they say were based off unlawfully gathered private information.
NGN say the claims have been brought about too late and are bringing a bid to have Prince Harry's case thrown out.
What do the court documents show?
Prince Harry's legal team has submitted an entire body of evidence, which include a number of claims. They include:
- In 2018, Prince Harry told Buckingham Palace in an email that a lack of response by the newspapers' publishers, which used to be known as News International, was making the "institution" look "ineffective and weak".
- The Duke questioned whether journalists from the published should be allowed to attend his wedding in 2018
- Transcript of an alleged intercepted phone message in 2006, from Prince William to Harry, claiming to be his ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy
- One email from Buckingham Palace said the Queen approved threatening the publisher legally.
- Harry argued there needed to be an "ultimatum" or "this institution and everything it stands for becomes a laughing stock"
- The Duke's legal team have argued he "suffered considerable distress" as a result of the alleged actions, "as well as the loss of his dignity or standing, and his personal autonomy, as a result of the misuse of his private information by NGN"
In relation to the message from Prince William imitating Prince Harry's ex-girlfriend, an audio transcript of the message was allegedly seized from a private investigator's phone.
A male speaker says: "Hi, it's Chelsy here. I just want to say I miss you so much, and I think you're the most - best-looking ginger I've ever seen - although you really are quite ugly for a ginger, but hope you're having a lovely time.
"I really miss you. It's lovely out here in Africa, and hopefully I'll see you very soon, you big, hairy fat ginger. Anyway, speak to you later. Bye."
One of the more significant claims made by Prince Harry's legal team relates to an email where the Queen 'approved' threatening News International with legal action.
It comes after court filings claimed this week that Prince William was given a secret payout by Rupert Murdoch's media business to settle a phone-hacking claim.
William was allegedly given the sum in 2020 following a legal claim made against the owner of the Sun and the News of the World.
NGN has settled a number of phone hacking claims in relation to The News Of The World, which is now closed, but denies any unlawful information gathering happened at The Sun.
