Prince Harry's lawsuit rocked by unexpected court decision ahead of trial

Prince Harry’s lawsuit against a newspaper publisher has hit a major hurdle.

A High Court judge ruled on Friday, October 10, that one of the key allegations — that the publisher commissioned a “burglary to order” more than 30 years ago — will not be part of the upcoming 2026 trial, as reported by GB News.

The Duke of Sussex is among seven high-profile claimants taking legal action against Associated Newspapers Limited — the publisher of the Daily Mail — alongside Elton John, Doreen Lawrence and Elizabeth Hurley. The group has accused the publisher of commissioning or carrying out unlawful activities, including phone tapping, hiring private investigators to place listening devices in cars and accessing private records.

One allegation involved claims that two Mail on Sunday journalists burgled the home of Michael Ward in 1992 to steal documents. But in Friday’s judgment, Mr Justice Nicklin ruled the claim will not be included at trial.

“Even if proved true, they cannot assist in the fair resolution of the claimants’ claims,” he said.

The judge called the 30-year-old incident “a complex and involved side-show,” adding that the costs and time involved in resolving it would be “out of all proportion to any possible evidential value.”

The case is expected to go to trial in January 2026. Lawyers for the claimants, which also include David Furnish, Sadie Frost and Simon Hughes, plan to appeal the decision.