Prince Harry has publicly dragged Princess Kate and Prince William into his legal fight against the Daily Mail publisher, amid their royal feud.
The Duke of Sussex has claimed private investigators spied on the Prince of Wales, according to new details submitted to the High Court.
Lawyers for the Duke produced invoices allegedly showing surveillance around William’s 21st birthday party and phone data linked to Catherine Middleton, the Princess of Wales’s maiden name.
The filings risk inflaming tensions within the Royal Family as Harry pursues his case against Associated Newspapers.
Prince Harry publicly drags Princess Kate and Prince William into legal fight amid Royal Family feud
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PA
One invoice from 2003 refers to a payment for information about Prince William’s Out of Africa-themed 21st birthday party.
Another mentions mobile phone data belonging to Catherine Middleton, now the Princess of Wales, while separate searches were carried out on the Middleton family home.
A further record listed 10 numbers from a “family and friends” list, in which Kate’s was highlighted.
The evidence was submitted to the High Court on Wednesday as part of Harry’s ongoing case against Associated Newspapers.
David Sherborne arriving at the Royal Courts of Justice earlier this year
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GETTY
It comes weeks after the Duke of Sussex reunited with the King for the first time in 19 months during a private meeting at Clarence House.
The Duke of Sussex is among seven individuals taking legal action against Associated Newspapers over alleged privacy violations spanning three decades.
The publisher, which owns the Mail on Sunday and MailOnline, rejects the allegations and has described them as “lurid” and unfounded.
Harry’s legal team said the material relating to Prince William’s 21st birthday was found within five boxes of invoices described as “highly significant”, which were only handed over last week.
Prince Harry is among seven taking legal action against Associated Newspapers
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GETTY
His barrister, David Sherborne, told the High Court that the documents had not yet been fully reviewed, but appeared “highly relevant” to the wider case.
One invoice, linked to private investigator Christine Hart, was highlighted in particular.
It records a payment of £350 to Hart’s company Warner, dated 25 August 2003, and is headed: “Out of Africa Story Royal Party Enqs”.
The mention of the Princess of Wales is included in proposed updates to the lawsuit.
High-profile figures including Prince Harry, Sir Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley have joined together to bring legal action against Associated Newspaper Limited
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PAAssociated is pushing to narrow the case, insisting that certain aspects — including references to the Duke’s past litigation with other newspaper groups, which Mr Justice Nicklin has already ruled inadmissible — should be removed. The trial is due to begin in January.
The new references to Prince William and Princess Kate appear in paperwork filed for a two-day case management hearing.
Actress Sadie Frost and filmmaker David Furnish attended the hearing in person, while other claimants joined remotely.
At one point, Prince Harry used the video system to send a message to Baroness Lawrence after her microphone picked up a conversation. “Doreen, please mute your phone,” he said.