Prince Harry’s phone hacking trial against Mirror set to begin | Prince Harry

A High Court trial with a tabloid editor in which Prince Harry will testify is due to begin.

Claims from a number of high-profile figures, including the Duke of Sussex, allege unlawful newsgathering by Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) headlines.

Other celebrities involved include former Girls Aloud member Cheryl, the estate of the late singer George Michael, former footballer and TV presenter Ian Wright and actor Ricky Tomlinson.

From the wider group of people making claims, ‘representative’ plaintiffs were selected as ‘test cases’ to go to trial, including Harry. Others selected for trial are former Coronation Street actor Nikki Sanderson, comedian Paul Whitehouse’s ex-wife Fiona Wightman and actor Michael Turner.

MGN disputes the claims, arguing that some were filed too late.

Last month, plaintiff class attorneys said all witnesses on their side would testify in person. It means the Duke, who is due to give evidence in June, will make a second visit to the High Court this year.

The lawsuit comes after Harry made a surprise appearance at the Royal Courts in March to attend a preliminary hearing in his separate complaint against Associated Newspapers Limited – the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.

MGN – publisher of titles such as the Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People – has already settled a number of complaints against it over illegal newsgathering.

An earlier lawsuit of representative claims, including those brought by former Coronation Street actor Shobna Gulati, former footballer Paul Gascoigne and actor Sadie Frost, was heard in 2015 and is the only other lawsuit to have taken place. during the long litigation. .