Prince Harry’s claim that Buckingham Palace had a secret agreement with The Sun newspaper is being described as “Alice in Wonderland stuff,” as heard in the high court.
The Duke of Sussex is currently suing News Group Newspapers (NGN) over allegations of phone hacking, stating that he was targeted by journalists and private investigators working for The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World.
Harry’s legal team is seeking a high court ruling to allow the hacking case to be amended with details of the alleged settlement, which he first became aware of around 2012.
NGN denies any unlawful activity and disputes the existence of such an agreement. Anthony Hudson KC, representing NGN, criticized Harry’s claims of a secret agreement, stating that there is no evidence provided to support the allegations.
Hudson argued that the Duke has failed to provide any information regarding the formation or implementation of the alleged agreement. Despite having knowledge of the case for years, Harry has not made inquiries to the palace or his former advisers, according to Hudson.
The delay in presenting evidence and the lack of a clear reason for the delay are seen as significant flaws in Harry’s case. Hudson characterized the claims as “Alice in Wonderland stuff,” suggesting that the application to amend the case is based on a fictional narrative.
The Duke’s legal team maintains that he was informed of the agreement by either the royal family’s former solicitor Gerard Tyrell and Lewis or another individual from the establishment.
Harry stated that the agreement aimed to avoid a situation where a member of the royal family would have to testify in court about private and sensitive phone messages intercepted by Clive Goodman, the former royal editor of News of the World.
A lawyer has described Harry’s claims against the newspaper publisher as “Alice in Wonderland stuff.” The Duke of Sussex is currently seeking to proceed with his legal action against the publisher of The Sun over allegations of phone hacking and unauthorized surveillance.
The publisher, represented by Murdoch’s legal team, is attempting to block the case on technical grounds, arguing that Harry has delayed too long in filing the necessary legal paperwork.
Harry alleges that the royal family reached a confidential settlement with the media company, which prevented him from suing The Sun and News of the World over phone hacking claims. The publisher’s lawyers argue that this argument is flawed and lack substance.
During the court proceedings, Harry’s legal team requested key figures, such as former Sun editor Rebekah Brooks and News Corp CEO Robert Thomson, to provide their accounts of events. However, they have not appeared in court to offer their testimony.
Harry’s lawyer, David Sherborne, expressed his concern over their absence and questioned why they have not provided evidence regarding the alleged settlement. The lack of evidence from these individuals remains unexplained.
