Prince Harry faces four days in witness box in Murdoch papers trial

Prince Harry could be questioned on the witness stand for four days by lawyers for Rupert Murdoch's News Group (NGN) when his lawsuit against the publisher comes up at London's High Court next month.

King Charles' younger son is suing NGN over alleged illegal activities by journalists and private investigators who worked for the group's newspapers, including the Sun and the (defunct) News of the World, between 1996 and 2011. has done

Last month, Harry's lawyer told the court that his case would go to trial in January, along with that of former Labor deputy Tom Watson, while around 40 other plaintiffs have settled with the group.

At the start of Tuesday's hearing to finalize the details of the eight-week trial, NGN's lawyer, Anthony Hudson, said he needed four days to cross-examine the prince about 30 articles allegedly written based on illegally obtained information.

Hudson also stated that the issue of Harry's knowledge that he had a file to file a complaint requires further investigation, as NGN claims that the prince filed his complaint too late.

Harry's lawyer, David Sherborne, said his client was prepared to appear in court for four days, but a day and a half would be enough to give evidence.

The tribunal will hear specific complaints from Prince Harry and Tom Watson, as well as general allegations of wrongdoing by NGN staff, including editors and senior executives.

NGN has already paid out hundreds of millions of pounds to victims of phone hacking and other illegal data collection methods and settled claims from more than 1,300 people. However, he has always denied any wrongdoing by "Sun" newspaper employees and no case has gone to court so far.

"I think one of the reasons I filed this lawsuit is precisely for truth and accountability," Harry said at the New York Times Dealbook Summit last week.

This will be Harry's second appearance on the witness stand at the Supreme Court. She previously testified in June 2023 as the first member of the British royal family in 130 years during a successful case against the Mirror journalism group.

He was awarded "substantial" damages after a court ruled his phones had been hacked with the knowledge of editors and senior executives at the Mirror Group.

In addition to the NGN case, Harry is also suing Associated Newspapers Publishing Group, publisher of the Daily Mail, along with Elton John and five others for phone hacking and other illegal activities. This case is supposed to go to court in early 2026.

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