Prince Harry 'wants public inquiry into tabloid phone hacking', his lawyer claims

By Victoria Ward

The Duke of Sussex wants a public inquiry into tabloid phone hacking, his lawyer has said.

David Sherborne, who has represented the Duke in his various battles against newspapers, said he wanted an inquiry as well as "a proper investigation by the police".

The Duke accepted an eight-figure financial settlement from News Group Newspapers (NGN), the publisher of The Sun, in January, ending his legal action just as a trial was due to get under way.

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The eleventh-hour deal came just weeks after the Duke vowed never to settle his claim for unlawful information gathering, insisting that his sole goal was accountability.

However, he hailed a 296-word statement in which NGN admitted unlawful activity by private investigators working for The Sun for the first time as a "monumental victory".

Rupert Murdoch's company also apologised to the Duke for the impact of "extensive coverage and serious intrusion" into his private life and that of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

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Mr Sherborne told The News Agents podcast: "I think Harry achieved what he wanted to achieve as far as the process could take him.

"What happens next is really for the authorities to decide and that's what he wants. That's what he's asked for and we'll have to see what the response is."

Asked if the Duke wanted a public inquiry, he replied: "I think he wants a proper investigation by the police, and then they can decide if charges are to be brought, and he wants an inquiry."

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Lawyers for both the Duke and fellow claimant Lord Watson, the former deputy Labour leader, are understood to be preparing a "dossier" of evidence to hand to the police in an attempt to force a new investigation into criminality.

Mr Sherborne said the civil litigation had uncovered "all sorts of evidence" that the police did not have at the time the original trials took place.

"To my mind, there is a lot of evidence that hasn't been investigated," he said.

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"I took it to the line… as far as we can go. It's then for the authorities or for Parliament to take it further."

Mr Sherborne admitted that part of him was "disappointed" the high-profile trial never got off the ground.

"Professionally, you want to get the best result for your client and that was the best result in all sorts of ways", he said.

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'Slightly disappointed'

"Did I feel that I missed an opportunity, personally, to have an eight-week trial with all the press and reporting, and the impact it has for hacking… I was slightly disappointed not to be able to do that."

The Duke won his claim against Mirror Group Newspapers in December 2023, when the High Court found that his phone had been hacked.

At the time, he called on the Metropolitan Police to investigate, but more than 12 months on, the force has not responded.

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A trial of his claims against Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail, is due to take place in January 2026.

The Duke, Baroness Lawrence, the mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence, and Sir Elton John are among seven high-profile claimants suing the newspaper group over the alleged misuse of private information.

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