Prince Harry cannot amend his lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch's British tabloid newspapers to include allegations involving his wife, Meghan Markle.
Furthermore, neither he nor others can pursue claims against Murdoch himself, London's High Court ruled on Tuesday. Prince Harry and more than 40 other claimants are suing News Group Newspapers (NGN) over accusations of unlawful activities by journalists and private investigators working for The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World from the mid-1990s to the mid-2010s. The case against NGN is set to go to trial, potentially lasting up to eight weeks beginning in January.
In March, Prince Harry sought to amend his lawsuit to add new allegations, including that The Sun ordered private investigators to target his then-girlfriend and now wife, Meghan, in 2016. However, in a ruling on Tuesday, Judge Timothy Fancourt refused him permission to extend the time frame of his claim. The judge also rejected an application to include allegations dating back to 1994 and 1995 involving his late mother, Princess Diana.
Additionally, the judge rejected an application from Harry and other claimants to include allegations that Rupert Murdoch, 93, knowingly gave false evidence about his knowledge of phone hacking and other unlawful acts and was personally involved in a cover-up. However, Harry was allowed to alter his case to include allegations that The Sun had bugged his landline phones. The judge also ruled that the claimants could include accusations against more journalists and private investigators, and amend their case to present more details of alleged lies by NGN to a public inquiry.
Judge Fancourt noted that both sides had won about half of the disputed amendments, although NGN had prevailed on more significant issues, such as excluding Murdoch from being personally implicated in the matter. In his written ruling, Judge Fancourt mentioned that those pursuing the lawsuits against NGN tended to add more and more details, which, while interesting to journalists seeking a good story, did not add substantial weight to the evidence. He also observed a desire among the claimants' litigation team to target high-profile individuals, cautioning that this should not become an end in itself.
A spokesperson for NGN stated that the court had thoroughly vindicated NGN's position, while the claimants expressed satisfaction in a joint statement that the judge allowed them to amend their case on several significant issues, such as allegations about the deliberate destruction of evidence.
Prince Harry was mocked by British outspoken TV presenter Piers Morgan after the Duke's plea against him and Rupert Murdoch was rejected in London's High Court. The former Good Morning Britain presenter reacted to the ruling by writing on X (formerly Twitter), "Exactly what I told Laura Kuenssberg at the weekend. The gormless little twerp just throws my name in to get media attention, and judges are now seeing through his game." Morgan also shared a screenshot of the Deadline Hollywood report. Despite his usual harsh criticism, Morgan did not use particularly harsh words against Harry this time.
Harry has spent a significant amount in an attempt to personally target Piers Morgan, who was one of the few to publicly call Meghan a liar on television. Morgan openly challenged Meghan, saying, "I don't believe a word of what she says. It's all lies." Despite his controversial nature, Morgan was one of the few public figures who had the courage to voice his convictions at the time, even as other journalists were reluctant to speak out.
