LONDON, Jan 16 (Reuters): Britain's Prince Harry, singer Elton John and five other high-profile figures' privacy lawsuits against the Daily Mail begin in earnest on Monday with the start of a trial at the High Court in London.
Prince Harry, King Charles' younger son and the Duke of Sussex, music legend Elton John, John's husband David Furnish, actors Liz Hurley and Sadie Frost, campaigner Doreen Lawrence and former British lawmaker Simon Hughes are suing Associated Newspapers Limited alleging unlawful information gathering.
They launched the action at the High Court against Associated, the publisher of the Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday and MailOnline, in October 2020.
The seven claimants say that journalists working for the titles commissioned private investigators to commit a series of unlawful acts between 1993 and 2011.
These included hacking voicemail messages on their mobile phones, tapping their landline phones and obtaining confidential information, such as flight details and medical records, by deception - known as "blagging".
Among those named as being involved are some senior current and former journalists, including editors.
Associated denies all the allegations, calling them "preposterous smears".
Numerous hearings, with often heated argument, have been held: firstly to decide whether the case should proceed and then what allegations the court could and should consider.
Prince Harry and Elton John take on the Daily Mail
FE Team | Published: January 17, 2026 00:13:33
Prince Harry and Elton John take on the Daily Mail
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