Prince Harry’s lawyers say that his brotherPrince Williamquietly received a “very large sum of money” in a settlement from News Group Newspapers (NGN) in 2020.
The claim came to light in the High Court of Justice in London on Tuesday as part of a three-day hearing that will determine whether the Duke of Sussex’s suit against the publisher ofThe Sunand the now-defunctNews of the Worldgoes to trial,Sky Newsreported.
According toPrince Harry’s claim, NGN had a “secret agreement” in place with the royal family which meant that he could not bring a claim against the publisher forward. The documents state that the Duke of Sussex was informed of the arrangement in 2012.
Prince William and Prince Harry.Chris Jackson/Getty Images
“In 2017, the Claimant and the Institution began to push for the outstanding claim to be resolved. However, News filibustered in relation to this until, in 2019, the Claimant had enough and issued his claim,” according to the documents.
Prince William (L); Prince Harry.Daniel Leavl-Olivas-Pool Getty Images; Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Now,Prince Harry’s lawyers raise that his older brother William, 41, “similarly brought a claim against NGN which it settled for a very large sum of money in 2020 without bringing any strike out/summary judgment application on limitation… The settlement of his brother’s claim once more supports the contention that there was a Secret Agreement in place.”
It remains unclear how muchPrince Williamallegedly settled for, and the documents do not disclose what it was related to, theBBCreported.
In a March witness statement,Prince Harrysaid the secret agreement was in place in order for the royal family to keep issues with NGN private.
“The institution was incredibly nervous about this and wanted to avoid at all costs the sort of reputational damage that it had suffered in 1993 when The Sun and another tabloid had unlawfully obtained and published details of an intimate telephone conversation that took place between my father and step-mother in 1989, while he was still married to my mother,” Harry said, referencing intercepted calls betweenKing CharlesandQueen Camilladuring his marriage toPrincess Diana.
Prince Harry.DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty
Sky Newsreports that the High Court hearing is expected to last three days, after which a judge will determine whether the claims move forward to a trial, which would be heard in January 2024.
Prince Harryis currently involved in litigation against two other publishing hubs for illegal information gathering. In March, he made asurprise appearanceat London’s High Court, attending three out of four days of hearings that will determine whether his lawsuit against Associated Newspapers, publisher of theDaily MailandMail on Sunday, goes to trial.
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He is also one of several high-profile figures bringing damages claims against Mirror Group Newspapers, home toDaily Mirror, Sunday MirrorandDaily Express. The trial is set to begin on May 9, just three days after his fatherKing Charles' coronation.
According to theAssociated Press,Prince Harrywon’t be seen in court immediately, as he’s expected to testify in June.
source: people.com
