Kate Middleton and Prince William Targeted by Investigators, Prince Harry’s Lawyer Says

Prince Harry‘s lawyers are claiming that Prince William and Kate Middleton were the targets of unlawful information gathering by private investigators acting for the publishers of the Daily Mail.

The claim was made in the High Court in London on Oct. 1 during a preliminary hearing for the Duke of Sussex’s case against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday. 

Prince Harry, 41, is one of seven claimants, including Elton John, his husband David Furnish and Elizabeth Hurley, who are suing the powerhouse publisher over alleged breaches of privacy tracing back 30 years, Reuters and the BBC reported.

Representing the group on Wednesday, lawyer David Sherborne said in written submissions that it could be “inferred” through an invoice that key details featured in a Daily Mail story before Prince William’s 21st birthday party in 2003 were “obtained through blagging,” the BBC reported.

Blagging is the practice of obtaining information through deceptive methods, such as false pretenses, and is illegal in the U.K. 

According to the outlet, Sherborne said the invoice was titled “Out of Africa Story Royal Party Enqs” and dated Aug. 25, 2003, two months after Prince William’s “Out of Africa”-themed birthday party at Windsor Castle that June.

Sherborne also alleged that another record allegedly showed that a journalist assigned a private investigator to provide a “mobile phone conversion” involving the future Princess Kate, as well as phone number from a “family and friends” list.

Reuters reported that ANL has denied any wrongdoing and described the claims as “lurid.”

The hearing was held on Wednesday as both sides met to argue which allegations should be included in the claim when the trial begins in early 2026.

The BBC said that Furnish and another claimant, Jude Law‘s ex-wife Sadie Frost, attended court in person, while Prince Harry appeared to listen in remotely.

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The hearing is set to wrap on Oct. 2, and the decision is expected to be released at a later date.

Prince Harry’s case against ANL is the last in a series of lawsuits he has filed against British newspapers in recent years. 

He appeared in court when proceedings began in March 2023, and several pre-trial hearings have taken place since.

King Charles‘ younger son initiated the litigation in October 2019, signaling a shift in his approach to the British press — a stark departure from the royal family’s historic restraint regarding media disputes.