LONDON – Prince Harry’s legal confrontation against Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper empire is set to commence at the High Court in London on Tuesday. The prince is aiming for a ruling that top executives were aware of and concealed extensive misconduct.

Harry, alongside former Member of Parliament Tom Watson, is taking legal action against News Group Newspapers due to alleged illegal activities conducted by journalists and private investigators employed by its publications, namely the Sun and the now-defunct News of the World, from 1996 to 2011.

The prince has emphasized that his goal is not financial gain, but rather uncovering the truth, especially after other plaintiffs opted for settlements to avoid the financial risks of potential multi-million-pound legal fees that could arise even if they won their cases but turned down NGN’s settlement offer.

“One of the primary motivations for pursuing this is accountability, as I feel I’m the last person who can bring that about,” Harry, who is expected to testify as a witness in February, stated last month.

News Group Newspapers has disbursed hundreds of millions of pounds to settle claims related to phone tapping and other illegal information gathering efforts by the News of the World, resolving over 1,300 lawsuits involving celebrities, politicians, notable athletes, and everyday individuals connected with them or significant events.

According to Harry’s legal team in prior court documents, his elder brother, Prince William, the next in line for the throne, had accepted a substantial settlement from NGN in 2020 for his own lawsuit.

Though Murdoch shut down the News of the World in 2011, the publisher has consistently denied any unlawful conduct at the Sun and pledges to vigorously contest the allegations.

The trial, expected to last eight weeks, will initially focus on “generic issues” such as the scope of phone hacking and illegal information gathering practices at the newspapers.

Harry’s legal team aims to demonstrate that high-ranking executives and editors were aware of the widespread unlawful behavior and assert that they misled law enforcement, provided false accounts during a public inquiry into media ethics conducted between 2011 and 2012, and orchestrated a large-scale cover-up by deleting millions of emails.

“This claim is incorrect, unsustainable, and we deny it vigorously,” said an NGN spokesperson. “The company will present several witnesses, including technologists, lawyers, and senior staff members to counter the allegations.”

In addition to Harry, witnesses who are expected to testify or who have already provided evidence for the claimants include former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, actors Hugh Grant and Sienna Miller, singer Lily Allen, and Heather Mills, ex-wife of Paul McCartney.