Duke of Sussex & Others vs ANL: thread 4

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This is the fourth thread discussing the case Prince Harry (and 6 others) brought against the Daily Mail (Associated Newspapers Limited; ANL) for alleged unlawful information gathering (UIG).

The claimants are: Prince Harry (PH); Doreen Lawrence (DL); Liz Hurley (EH/LH); Elton John (EJ); David Furnish (DF); Simon Hughes (SH); Sadie Frost (SF).
They are represented by David Sherborne (DS).
The defendant (ANL) is represented by Anthony White (AMW).

The threads to date have been thorough discussions of the evidence (so far as we were able to obtain it), with posters giving links and explaining their views. We have mostly kept things civil by avoiding partisan discussions on specific Royal Family members, and trying not to be derailed from the topic of court proceedings.
The case has concluded and we are now awaiting the judgement from Judge Nicklin.

We have also included (when things slowed with the title case) other cases or discussions with a specific theme of free speech/press freedom, particularly when related to those with money or power preventing others from speaking.

One current ongoing case is that involving @GwendolineFairfax8 - some details towards the end of thread 3.
The case is in court this week and is likely to be reported on at the end of the week.

Links to previous threads

Thread 1

Thread 2

Thread 3

There was limited direct reporting from court after the celebrities gave evidence; what there we followed on this link
Sky news link to court case

Totally agree with everything you just stated.

Very well put!

I am not linked to the claimants but yes, its a member of my own family; it’s entirely my choice for my own reasons to not say and they are for good reasons. I have a right to be on this forum without being judged and all of you have been amazing. Im also a wife and a Mum who needs support regardless. Peace ✌️

So. Harry et Al's legal team acted on a no win no fee basis but took out insurance to ensure they got paid if unsuccessful
Harry may have offered to cover the costs of DL to persuade her to come on board.
And the fabulously wealthy Elton is likely covering Harry's costs
Am I on the right track here?
I

@Serenster, I’m reading your post today again in the context of the Charlotte Griffiths article, specifically this passage:

I can now reveal that, during the summer of 2025, a close adviser to Harry and Meghan had contacted me out of the blue and invited me to lunch at the Ivy restaurant in London.

As a result of information given to me at that lunch meeting, I placed a series of stories in The Mail on Sunday that portrayed the couple in a positive light. This included a front-page article, which ran in July, suggesting that Harry and Meghan were attempting to rebuild their relationship with King Charles. It revolved around the fact that Liam Maguire and Meredith Maines, Harry and Meghan’s US PR chiefs, were to hold clear-the-air talks with the monarch’s aide Tobyn Andreae in London.

I was duly tipped off about the meeting, which was held at the Royal Over-Seas League near Clarence House. The attendees settled themselves on a balcony plainly visible from the public park below. The Mail on Sunday arranged for a photographer to capture the cosy but very embarrassing scene.

In a development which speaks volumes for their integrity, ‘sources close to the Sussexes’ then briefed the Daily Telegraph that they were ‘very frustrated’ that the pictures of the Royal Over-Seas League gathering had ended up in The Mail …

I really think this is all arguably crossing the line now into legal malpractice, fraud, perjury … The Mail will not let go of this. If there’s any whiff of any lawyer or witness knowing any of this, they’re toast.

And as for the ‘Project Thaw’ people - the journalists like Richard Eden and MN posters - well, how’s that going for you?

Why would Elton cover Harry's costs?

And insurance won't cover everything, or even anything if they find a reason not to.

Well Doreen Lawrence is involved in politics as she sits in the House of Lords and votes on which laws are passed in the UK.

She has been acting a bit strangely in recent years - like that disgusting attack on the firefighters that fought the Grenfell Fire - so I'm not sure what is really going on there.

Show to be liars again.

He's a longstanding close friend, isn't he, having been close to Diana? Didn't he put them up when they first left the UK?

"Close friend"? I very much doubt that. They stayed with Elton briefly just after Archie was born but afaik not since then. Elton hosts an Oscars after party and the Sussexes have never attended, despite being down the road.

Why would Elton shell out millions for a rich man who chose to bring this case?

They are rumoured to have fallen out after they slagged him off while travelling on his private jet, not realising he has recording equipment on board 😱

Harry also talked about how disappointed he was in Elton selling the serialisation rights of his autobiography to the Mail, which apparently didn’t go down well.

Elton never seems to invite them to anything, like his Oscars party. Then again, they probably wouldn’t be welcomed by the A listers there after Harry dropped Courtney Cox in the shit.

Either they have fallen out or it was a blatant attempt to sign Harry up for the case (in 2019 HAM were seen favourably)

They went on holiday to Elton's house in the South of France just after Archie was born in 2019 (after they turned down Balmoral because Archie was "too young") - and Elton introduced them to a friend ... David Sherborne!

Elton John is a multi-millionaire.

People do not become (and stay) that rich by paying other people's bills.

Exactly.

Just because Elton is rich doesn't mean he throws his money around. Quite the opposite.

Sure, he wouldn't miss a few million. But I wouldn't miss, say a few hundred quid, but still I wouldn't just hand it over to a vague acquaintance for no good reason. Harry chose not only to get involved in this case but to be the 'face' of it. Why should anyone else bail him out, even if they were dumb enough to get involved too?

And he doesn’t know where his son is now buried.

Absolutely awful

Yes. All explained in The Times today. The summaries written by various journalists is very interesting.

If the indemnity court cost are sought and given it would be interesting to know if the insurance would still pay out

Charlotte Griffith has just come out i on X that the Sussex camp are the one who leaked the news about the meeting at a cafe near Clarence House, with Tobyn Andrae where both camps were pictured meeting about a possible reconciliation.

I've just read an interview with DL's exh saying she had their son's body exhumed and moved without even telling Mr Lawrence. What an appalling the thing to do

It's actually even worse than that, @Janiie, because Doreen's on record as saying this is what all the family wanted, and now it seems it wasn't

I realise of course that she and Neville are divorced, but wouldn't have thought that disqualified him from being regarded as part of their late son's family

Also that Cressida never loved Harry - she loved her ex (also called Harry)

I believe Cressida is now married to the ex

Can you link?

I’m sorry I’m a bit thick when it comes to doing that. It popped up on X and now I can’t find it so may not be true.

There are archived links to her DM article on this thread
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_royal_family/5551199-pr-disasters-thread-21?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=app_share

The white pill is gaining traction on X, drugging women is not a great look

This is from the article
https://archive.is/wHsNV#selection-2851.0-2894.5

I can now reveal that, during the summer of 2025, a close adviser to Harry and Meghan had contacted me out of the blue and invited me to lunch at the Ivy restaurant in London.

As a result of information given to me at that lunch meeting, I placed a series of stories in The Mail on Sunday that portrayed the couple in a positive light. This included a front-page article, which ran in July, suggesting that Harry and Meghan were attempting to rebuild their relationship with King Charles. It revolved around the fact that Liam Maguire and Meredith Maines, Harry and Meghan’s US PR chiefs, were to hold clear-the-air talks with the monarch’s aide Tobyn Andreae in London.
^^
I was duly tipped off about the meeting, which was held at the Royal Over-Seas League near Clarence House. The attendees settled themselves on a balcony plainly visible from the public park below. The Mail on Sunday arranged for a photographer to capture the cosy but very embarrassing scene.

In a development which speaks volumes for their integrity, ‘sources close to the Sussexes’ then briefed the Daily Telegraph that they were ‘very frustrated’ that the pictures of the Royal Over-Seas League gathering had ended up in The Mail on Sunday – suggesting, quite falsely, that the Palace was responsible for a grotesque betrayal of trust.