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Prince Harry is joining forces with celebrities and a campaigner on racism in the police to accuse the Daily Mail and its sister titles of "abhorrent criminal activity."
The Duke of Sussex has filed his and Meghan Markle's fourth lawsuit against the Daily Mail Group, and this one looks set to be among the biggest.
The other three cases were all lodged against The Mail on Sunday, but this litigation also names the title's stablemates the Daily Mail and Mail Online.
Harry is joining Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost—as well as Baroness Lawrence, who became a campaigner for police reform after her teenage son Stephen was murdered in a 1993 racist attack.
"These individuals have become aware of compelling and highly distressing evidence that they have been the victims of abhorrent criminal activity and gross breaches of privacy by Associated Newspapers [publisher of the Mail newspapers]," said a press release issued by Harry and Frost's law firm Hamlins.
"Unlawful acts alleged to have taken place include: the hiring of private investigators to secretly place listening devices inside people's cars and homes.
"The commissioning of individuals to surreptitiously listen into and record people's live, private telephone calls whilst they were taking place.
"The payment of police officials, with corrupt links to private investigators, for inside, sensitive information.
"The impersonation of individuals to obtain medical information from private hospitals, clinics, and treatment centers by deception.
"The accessing of bank accounts, credit histories and financial transactions through illicit means and manipulation."
Associated Newspapers said in a statement: "We utterly and unambiguously refute these preposterous smears which appear to be nothing more than a pre-planned and orchestrated attempt to drag the Mail titles into the phone hacking scandal concerning articles up to 30 years old.
"These unsubstantiated and highly defamatory claims—based on no credible evidence—appear to be simply a fishing expedition by claimants and their lawyers, some of whom have already pursued cases elsewhere."
It is not clear how many of the allegations listed by Hamlins apply to Prince Harry specifically, and the case is in its earliest stages.
The rhetoric, however, already goes significantly beyond his two libel lawsuits, the first of which was wrapped up out of court in only a few months.
Meghan's case over the private letter she sent her father was significantly more high profile, but even that could pale by comparison to this lawsuit if the claimants manage to prove the criminal conduct alleged.
If the accusations are proven, it will represent a major reputational blow for Associated, which came out relatively unscathed from the Leveson inquiry into the press and the surrounding U.K. criminal investigations.
British tabloids including The Sun, the News of the World and the Mirror Group newspapers were investigated by police on allegations of crimes ranging from phone hacking to corrupt payments.
A number of News of the World journalists were convicted but, for the most part, cases at other newspapers collapsed or convictions were overturned on appeal.
However, News UK and the Mirror Group have paid out significant sums in out-of-court settlements to hundreds of celebrities.
The Daily Mail Group newspapers not only avoided the criminal inquiries but were spared civil litigations too.
That could all change if these cases are successful. Other public figures reported on by these newspapers will no doubt take note of one line of the law firm's statement in particular.
The Hamlins press release read: "It is apparent to these individuals that the alleged crimes listed above represent the tip of the iceberg—and that many other innocent people remain unknowing victims of similar terrible and reprehensible covert acts."
If the phone hacking scandal is anything to go by, Hamlins and Gunnercooke, which is representing the other claimants, may have a busy few years on their hands.
About the writer
Jack Royston is Newsweek's Chief Royal Correspondent based in London, U.K. He reports on the British royal family—including King Charles ... Read more