Prince Harry has been accused of tampering with evidence in his ongoing High Court lawsuit against News Group Newspapers (NGN), publisher of The Sun. The explosive allegations, coupled with a stern order from the judge to explain the missing information, have placed the 39-year-old royal in a precarious position.
Prince Harry's lawsuit against NGN centers on claims that the publication illegally snooped on him between 1994 and 2016 by hiring private investigators to dig up dirt using unlawful methods. Although his phone hacking claims were dismissed last year due to a statute of limitations, NGN is now pushing to have the remaining lawsuit thrown out, arguing that Harry was aware of the illegal information-gathering prior to 2013, six years before he filed the suit.
The controversy erupted when Judge Timothy Fancourt highlighted the “troubling” deletion of potentially relevant documents and confidential messages, including drafts of Harry's memoir, "Spare." The judge noted it was “inherently likely” that Prince Harry and his ghostwriter, J.R. Moehringer, had discussed matters pertinent to the case. Moehringer had previously revealed in an interview that he and Harry had been “texting around the clock,” with no subject off-limits.
“It looks like Harry’s been caught lying on a very big stage — the High Court in London — in an attempt to bury the truth to suit his own ends,” a high-level palace courtier told The National ENQUIRER. “His deep-rooted royal arrogance, no doubt fired up by his wife, Meghan, is mind-boggling. It seems to know no bounds!”
NGN's legal team, led by Anthony Hudson, accused Harry and his lawyers of creating an “obstacle course” to avoid handing over key documents. “We’ve had to drag those out of the claimant kicking and screaming,” Hudson remarked. The absence of these documents has raised suspicions about their relevance and the intentions behind their deletion.
Prince Harry's attorney, David Sherborne, admitted that the “entire chat history was wiped,” but insisted it was not to conceal evidence but to delete highly sensitive information about Harry and the royal family. Judge Fancourt, however, was not convinced, describing the lack of documentation as “remarkable” and a “cause for concern.”
Fancourt has ordered Harry to explain how the information was deleted and demanded a wider search of his laptop, texts, and WhatsApp messages. “Harry may think he’s above the law, but it looks like this outraged judge is ready to take him down a royal peg or two,” sniffed the courtier.
The ramifications of these accusations extend beyond the courtroom. Insiders suggest that if Harry is found to have deliberately destroyed evidence, it could damage the credibility of his past grievances with his family, which he has aired publicly through TV interviews, his memoir, and the couple's Netflix documentary.
“This charge calls into question all of the stunning attacks he and his wife, Meghan, have made against the royal family in TV interviews, his memoir and their Netflix documentary since they abandoned the royal ship four years ago,” the courtier added.
Among Harry's sensational claims are allegations of racism against Meghan, 42, by the royal family, and a lack of support when she was suicidal. He has accused his father, now King Charles, of plotting against him and cutting him off financially when he and Meghan quit their royal duties. He has also alleged that Queen Camilla leaked damaging details about him to the press to rehabilitate her image and that his brother, Prince William, physically attacked him. Additionally, he claimed that Princess Kate refused to welcome Meghan into the royal family and made her cry.
“Harry’s spectacular charges rocked the monarchy,” notes the royal insider. “But after the judge called him out for apparently meddling with evidence, the feeling in the palace is Harry's whole anti-royal diatribe was just another Sussex tantrum.”
As Prince Harry faces increasing scrutiny and a demand for transparency in his lawsuit, the outcome of this legal battle could have far-reaching implications for the royal family's public image and Harry's future endeavors. The court's decision in this high-stakes case is awaited with bated breath, as the prince navigates one of the most challenging legal and personal crises of his life.