Prince Harry poised to return to the UK in just weeks

Svar Nanan-Sen

By Svar Nanan-Sen


Published: 04/01/2026

- 09:51

The Duke of Sussex is expected to attend a High Court trial later this month

Prince Harry is poised to make a return to Britain within the coming weeks as his legal battle with Associated Newspapers approaches a High Court trial.

The Duke of Sussex, alongside six other prominent figures, is pursuing legal action against the publisher of the Daily Mail over claims of unlawful information gathering spanning three decades.


ANL, which also operates The Mail on Sunday and MailOnline, firmly rejects all accusations of wrongdoing.

The full trial is anticipated to commence at London's High Court later this month, with preliminary hearings already underway to address procedural matters.

Prince Harry

Prince Harry is poised to make a return to Britain within the coming weeks as his legal battle with Associated Newspapers approaches a High Court trial.

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GETTY

This lawsuit, initiated in 2022, represents one of multiple legal actions the duke has brought against media organisations since 2019, alleging privacy violations, unlawful practices and inaccurate reporting.

The alleged misconduct is said to have occurred between 1993 and 2011.

ANL has dismissed these accusations as "preposterous smears" and characterised the litigation as "a fishing expedition by the claimants and their lawyers".

The publisher maintains its complete denial of any illegal conduct throughout the period in question.

The Duke of Sussex is not pursuing this case alone, as the group litigation includes several other high-profile individuals.

Prince Harry

The Duke of Sussex is pursuing legal action against the publisher of the Daily Mail over claims of unlawful information gathering spanning three decades.

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GETTY

Sir Elton John and his husband, filmmaker David Furnish, are among those bringing claims against the publisher.

Actresses Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost have also joined the legal action, alongside Baroness Doreen Lawrence, the mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence.

Former Liberal Democrat politician Sir Simon Hughes completes the group of seven claimants.

All parties allege they have been subjected to "abhorrent criminal activity" and "gross breaches of privacy" by ANL.

Prince Harry

The Duke of Sussex is not pursuing this case alone, as the group litigation includes several other high-profile individuals.

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GETTY

Barrister David Sherborne is acting on behalf of the entire group in these proceedings.

Pre-trial reviews could potentially result in settlements or dismissals before any courtroom hearing takes place.

Not all of the duke's legal confrontations with British tabloids have gone to trial.

His dispute with News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun, concluded before a scheduled trial of up to ten weeks could begin, with both parties announcing they had reached an agreement.

NGN issued an apology to Harry and agreed to pay substantial damages, with the settlement reportedly exceeding £10 million, the majority covering legal costs.

His case against Mirror Group Newspapers over historical phone hacking allegations did proceed to a full trial, during which Harry became the first senior royal to testify in court since the nineteenth century.

Mr Justice Fancourt ruled in December 2023 that the duke's phone had been hacked "to a modest extent" between 2003 and 2009, awarding him £140,600 in damages.

During a further hearing in February 2024, Harry and MGN reached a settlement over the remaining parts of his claim.