Palace threatened to bring in lawyers after becoming ‘frustrated’ with News Group Newspapers over settling phone-hacking claims, court documents reveal
Palace officials negotiating with the backing of the Queen threatened to bring in lawyers to secure a private phone-hacking settlement with News Group Newspapers (NGN), court documents have revealed.
Staff at the palace suggested bringing in legal experts after becoming increasingly “frustrated” with a lack of response from Rupert Murdoch’s top news executives in 2018.
They sent emails expressing an “institutional appetite” to reach an out-of-court deal with the group over claims royal family members had their phones hacked by the now-defunct News Of The World.
In the messages, palace officials revealed how the Queen was “aware” of the talks and had given her “full authority”.
The emails were shared in court as part of Prince Harry’s own claim against NGN – which also publishes The Sun – over alleged unlawful information gathering at its two titles.
The group is bringing a bid to have Harry’s case thrown out, along with a similar claim by actor Hugh Grant, at a three-day hearing in London which started on Tuesday.
NGN argues that the claims have been brought too late.
Hugh Grant arrives at court on Thursday
The emails involve discussions in December 2017 between the Queen’s former press secretary, Sally Osman, News UK chief Rebekah Brooks and Robert Thomson – the chief executive of the Rupert Murdoch-owned News Corp.
In one email, sent by Ms Osman, she expressed a desire to reach an agreement which would “draw a line under such matters between our two institutions”.
“The fact that we can have this conversation, with The Queen’s full authority and knowledge of the scale and effect of hacking and surveillance on her family, their staff, associates, friends and family, is important with a view to resolution in the near future,” she added.
However, having organised a meeting between the two sides, Ms Osman expressed her “disappointment” that no progress had been made by March 2018.
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She wrote: “Assuming you received my email of 11 December last year, following our very genial and I thought constructive meeting, I was somewhat disappointed not to receive an acknowledgement, let alone a reply.
“I do, of course, appreciate, that business is busy. However, there is also an increasing sense of frustration here at the lack of response or willingness to engage in finding a resolution to what is considered outstanding business between the Royal Household and News Corporation.
“The hope is still to find a resolution without involving lawyers.”
The email prompted apologetic replies from both Ms Brooks and Mr Thomson – who put the missed email down to the latter’s busy schedule and a “mountain” of daily memos.
However, Ms Osman pushed for a resolution again in May, expressing an “institutional appetite to expedite things and start having a more tangible dialogue”.
“We are still very much of the mind that we don’t want this to become embroiled in legal negotiation but it would clearly assist if our lawyers now spoke to yours,” she added.
Rebekah Brooks
On Thursday, David Sherborne, representing Harry, said in court that the late Queen was previously involved in “discussions and authorisation” that the Royal Family would not pursue claims against NGN until after the conclusion of the litigation over hacking.
Mr Sherborne said in written arguments that the agreement “meant that the claimant could not bring a claim against NGN for phone hacking at that time”.
He added: “It was agreed directly between these parties, as opposed to their lawyers… that at the conclusion of the Mobile Telephone Voicemail Interception Litigation (MTVIL) News would admit or settle such a claim with an apology.
“In 2017, the claimant and the institution began to push for the outstanding claim to be resolved.
“However, News filibustered in relation to this until, in 2019, the claimant had enough and issued his claim.”
The barrister told Mr Justice Fancourt, hearing the case, that what Harry did know by 2012 was that “an agreement [had been] reached between the institution and News Group”.
He added: “It is precisely because of the secret agreement that no claim was brought before 2019.”
Harry’s lawyers also argue that NGN’s bid to have his claim thrown out is an attempt to go behind the “secret agreement”.
Mr Sherborne also told the court that Harry’s brother, Prince William, had “recently settled his claim against NGN behind the scenes”.
The hearing is due to end on Friday, when the judge will determine whether their claims will progress to a trial – which is due to be heard in January next year.
The claim is one of a number of legal actions currently being brought by the Duke of Sussex, who appeared in person at the High Court last month for a preliminary hearing against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), publisher of The Mail and Mail On Sunday.
He is also expected to give evidence at a trial over allegations of unlawful information against tabloid publisher Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), due to begin next month, with Harry due to appear in court in June.
NGN closed The News of the World in 2011 in the aftermath of the phone-hacking scandal but has consistently denied that any unlawful information-gathering took place at The Sun.
Liverpool have won the Premier League title after a 5-1 victory over Tottenham at Anfield.
Arne Slot’s men did it in impressive style, turning over Spurs in a convincing win.
It was a rocky start for the Reds after Dominic Solanke put the north London side ahead.
However, fortunes quickly changed in the first half as Liverpool scored three times without a response.
Captain Virgil van Dijk (centre) celebrates. Pic: Reuters
Salah on his knees in celebration after the final whistle. Pic: AP
Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott (below) and Jarell Quansah celebrate after full-time. Pic: PA
Slot cheers after the full-time whistle. Pic: AP
In the second half, it took until the 63rd minute for Mohamed Salah to make it 4-1 before a fifth followed.
The Reds have won the title in manager Arne Slot’s first season in charge, and move level with fierce rivals Manchester United on 20 league championships.
But it makes them arguably the most successful English club ever as they have won more European Cup or Champions League titles.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk told Sky Sports after the final whistle: “It’s special and it’s something that we don’t take for granted. It’s amazing.
“A lot of emotions before the game, during the whole week, but we got the job done and we (are) truly deserved champions of England. (Liverpool is) the most beautiful club in the world and I think we deserve all of this. Let’s enjoy the next couple of weeks and let it sink in.”
Liverpool’s Kostas Tsimikas poses with a Premier League trophy cut out. Pic: Reuters
Manager Arne Slot and his team after the final whistle. Pic: AP
Slot took over last summer from Jurgen Klopp, who guided them to their previous and maiden Premier League title triumph in 2020, when the COVID-19 lockdown saw matches played behind closed doors.
He is the first Dutch manager to win the Premier League and the fifth man to do so in a debut campaign after Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Manuel Pellegrini, and Antonio Conte.
Speaking to Sky Sports he said: “They [the players] did an outstanding job today. The main job was to win. Everyone said we had got it already. But we had to make sure and we got over the line.”
Several players, including Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, and Mohamed Salah, played leading roles in both the 2025 and 2020 campaigns.
Van Dijk and Salah recently signed new contracts extending their careers at the club.
Mohamed Salah takes a selfie with fans after scouring the fourth Liverpool goal. Pic: AP
Fans at Anfield during the game. Pic: AP
Fans in the stands at Anfield before full-time. Pic: Reuters
Liverpool will have to wait until the final game of the season – at home to Crystal Palace on 25 May – to be presented with the Premier League trophy.
It will be the first time the club’s fans will have seen their side lift the top-flight title in person since 1990.
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Two pro-Palestinian demonstrators have thrown red powder on Tower Bridge – just moments before leading runners in the London Marathon went past.
The protesters were arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance and remain in custody, said the Metropolitan Police.
A video shared by Youth Demand, which is calling for a trade embargo on Israel, shows two people jumping over a barrier that separates spectators from the race course.
The pair, wearing t-shirts that say “Youth Demand: Stop Arming Israel”, are then seen standing in the middle of the road on the bridge.
Pic: LNP
They throw red powder in the air as an official marathon car goes past displaying the race time.
A motorbike with a cameraman on board continues along the route, while a second motorbike stops and one of the riders gets off and pushes the pair out of the way, just before the men’s elite runners pass.
Several police officers then jump over the barrier and detain the pair, the footage shows.
There appeared to be no impact on the marathon.
More than 56,000 participants were expected to take part in the 26.2-mile race through the capital.
Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the men’s elite race in a time of two hours, two minutes and 27 seconds, while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa shattered the women’s-only world record in two hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds.
Assefa beat the previous best of two hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds set last year in London by Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir.
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Pic: LNP
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “At around 10.38am, two protesters from Youth Demand jumped over barriers at Tower Bridge and threw red paint on to the road.
“Marathon event staff intervened to remove the protesters from the path of the men’s elite race which was able to pass unobstructed.”
The force added that they were “quickly supported by police officers who arrested the protesters on suspicion of causing a public nuisance”.
The Met said the paint “appeared to be chalk-based” and was not expected to “present a hazard to runners yet to pass this point”.
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