Prince in the witness box

Harry v The Sun: this is what the trial is about

Prince Harry is not giving up in his campaign against the British press, even if it could be costly for him.

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

The trial for Prince Harry's civil lawsuit against the publisher of the tabloid newspaper "The Sun" began in London on Tuesday. The 40-year-old accuses News Group Newspapers of using illegal methods to obtain information. The lawsuit represents a high financial risk for the ex-Royal.

Harry (40) and his co-plaintiff, ex-Labour politician Tom Watson, accuse the journalists of The Sun of spying on them, including by intercepting voice messages.

Use of private detectives?
Other dubious research methods are also under discussion, such as the use of private detectives. They want to prove this with the help of articles which, in their opinion, would not have come about without such means.

US media mogul Rupert Murdoch's publishing house NGN (News Group Newspapers) insists that there were no such practices at the "Sun". There is said to have been no knowledge of illegal practices in the boardroom.

US media mogul Rupert Murdoch

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur/Noah Berger)

Alleged offenses date back to the 1990s
The alleged offenses at The Sun date back to the 1990s. It is undisputed that illegal methods such as the interception of voice messages were widespread at some British newspapers during the period in question. The bugging scandal reached its peak in 2011. The weekly newspaper "News of the World", which belonged to NGN, was discontinued as a result. The publisher apologized.

According to the BBC, the scandal cost the media company more than one billion pounds (currently around 1.18 billion euros) in compensation and legal costs.

It could also be expensive for Harry
Prince Harry is taking a major financial risk with the lawsuit, which had deterred actor Hugh Grant (64), among others, from continuing to participate in the former class action lawsuit.

If a plaintiff in the UK rejects the settlement offer, they must pay the entire legal fees - including those of the other side - as well as the legal costs if they are subsequently awarded less than the settlement amount offered as compensation.

Ex-footballer Paul Gascoine (57), former Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm (51) and many others initially joined the lawsuit. However, they also reached an out-of-court settlement with NGN.

Prince Harry vs. The Sun

• What are they arguing about? Prince Harry accuses The Sun and the publisher NGN of illegally spying on him for years.
• Who is involved? In addition to Harry, other celebrities were also involved. However, they dropped out due to the threat of costs.
• Why is this important? The case shines a spotlight on the practices of the British tabloid press and the protection of privacy.

A regular crusade against the tabloid press
The Royal is leading a veritable crusade against the "tabloid press", as the tabloid press is known in the UK. It wants to show that the methods were systematic. "No one is better qualified to pull this off than me," he once said in the documentary "Tabloids on Trial" on British TV channel ITV. He was fighting this on behalf of everyone, said the Royal.

He had also repeatedly made it clear that he blamed the accidental death of his mother Princess Diana in Paris in 1997 on the paparazzi who were hot on her and her companions' heels at the time. He hinted several times that he feared his wife Meghan (43) could suffer a similar fate.

Prince Harry and his lawyer David Sherborne

(Bild: picturedesk.com/Jonathan Brady / PA)

He also blames his departure from the inner circle of the royal family, which he and Meghan completed a good five years ago, and the rift with relatives on both sides partly on the tabloid media, which has followed him at every turn since his childhood.