The Ruling
Mr. Justice Matthew Nicklin handed down his written judgment at 1 p.m. GMT, concluding that none of the plaintiffs managed to substantiate their claims, according to Reuters. The claimants — who included Sir Elton John, his husband David Furnish, actresses Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost, racial justice campaigner Baroness Doreen Lawrence, and former politician Sir Simon Hughes — had alleged that the publisher engaged in phone hacking, wiretapping, and other illegal methods to gather private information used in articles published between the 1990s and 2011. reuters.com standard.co.uk pbs.org
The case followed an 11-week trial that began in January 2026 and concluded in late March, with combined legal costs for all parties projected to exceed £38 million. Harry, who was present in London for the ruling, had testified in person during the trial. reuters.com nytimes.com independent.co.uk reuters.com
A Final Legal Chapter
The loss represents a blow to the Duke of Sussex’s self-described mission to reform the British press. It is the last of his series of lawsuits challenging tabloid practices in the UK courts. Harry previously won a 2023 ruling against the publishers of the Daily Mirror for phone hacking, and last year Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers issued an apology and agreed to pay damages to settle a separate privacy claim. standard.co.uk people.com pbs.org
Associated Newspapers had denied all allegations throughout the proceedings, calling the claims “absurd”. With the ruling going against the claimants, Harry now faces the prospect of paying a portion of the publisher’s legal costs. pbs.org standard.co.uk
What Comes Next
The duke was due to appear at an Invictus Games event in London just as the judgment was published. Whether Harry will appeal the decision remains unclear, but the ruling closes what has been a four-year legal saga since the claims were first filed in October 2022. telegraph.co.uk reuters.com standard.co.uk
