Duke of Sussex sues two newspaper groups over phone hacking

The Duke of Sussex has started legal proceedings against the publishers of the Sun and the Daily Mirror newspapers over alleged phone hacking.

A royal source confirmed Harry had filed claims at the High Court “regarding the illegal interception of voicemail messages” but that as the particulars of the claims were not yet public, there could be no further comment.

A spokeswoman for News Group Newspapers (NGN) – which owns The Sun and the now defunct News of The World – said: “We confirm that a claim has been issued by the Duke of Sussex. We have no further comment to make at the current time.”

A source at Reach plc, which owns the Mirror, said they were aware that proceedings had been issued but had not yet received them, so they were unable to comment further.

It is believed that Harry may be alleging he was the victim of unlawful information gathering for the purpose of publishing articles about him, possibly dating back to the early 2000s and when he had a mobile telephone as a teenager.

It came as they neared the end of a 10-day official tour of Africa.

The high profile overseas visit was overshadowed on the penultimate day when Harry, in a lengthy statement, accused the tabloid press of a “ruthless campaign” against his wife, adding: “I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces.”

Meghan is suing the Mail on Sunday and its parent company Associated Newspapers, after allegations it unlawfully published a letter she wrote to her father.

Harry is believed to have ignored the advice of some of his most senior aides over the timing of his statement, and not consulted his father the Prince of Wales or brother William.

Harry said: “Though this action may not be the safe one, it is the right one.

“Because my deepest fear is history repeating itself. I’ve seen what happens when someone I love is commoditised to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person.”

Harry said about his wife: “I have been a silent witness to her private suffering for too long. To stand back and do nothing would be contrary to everything we believe in.”

A Mail on Sunday spokesman said: “The Mail on Sunday stands by the story it published and will be defending this case vigorously.”

The details of Harry’s new legal action were reported by the website Byline.

Nathan Sparkes, of the campaign group Hacked Off, said the case “shows how much more of the phone hacking scandal may yet reach the public domain.”

Actor Hugh Grant is among the celebrities who have accepted damages from the Mirror group, while Sir Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley and Heather Mills settled claims against News Group Newspapers.

The News of the World closed in July 2011 at the height of the phone hacking scandal.