The Royal Family ‘without a doubt’ withheld phone hacking information, Prince Harry has claimed.
He is one of several high-profile individuals taking action against Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over allegations of unlawful information-gathering.
Elton John, Liz Hurley and Baroness Doreen Lawrence are among those involved in the case.
In a witness statement, Harry said the Royal Family felt bringing a claim against the news outlet would ‘open a can of worms’ and that they ‘without a doubt’ withheld information from him about phone hacking, Sky News reports.
The Duke added that he was ‘conditioned to accept’ his family’s rule to ‘never complain, never explain’ when having dealings with the press.
In his statement, Harry said: ‘The Institution was without a doubt withholding information from me for a long time about News Group Newspapers (NGN’s) phone hacking and that has only become clear in recent years as I have pursued my own claim with different legal advice and representation.’
He continued that he felt the British public ‘deserve to know’ the outcomes of the case.
Associated Newspapers denies all the allegations.
A four-day preliminary High Court hearing, starting yesterday will consider legal arguments and a judge will decide whether the case will go any further.
It comes as Harry’s father, the King, was due to be away on Monday on the first official state visit of his reign.
But the proposed trip to France was cancelled due to rioting over pension reforms, meaning the monarch is now in the UK at the same time as Harry for the first time in six months.
The Duke is thought to be the first member of the Royal Family to attend a live court hearing since Princess Anne’s dangerous dog conviction in Slough Magistrates Court in 2002.
The Prince and Princess of Wales and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are not currently in Windsor because of the youngsters’ school Easter holidays.
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