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The United Kingdom's Prince Harry could spend four days in the witness box when his lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch's News Group Newspapers, or NGN, comes to trial, it has been confirmed.

Harry, the youngest son of King Charles III, is suing the publishing company in relation to alleged unlawful activities carried out by journalists for two of its newspapers, The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World, and also private detectives working on its behalf, between 1996 until 2011.

Around 40 other claimants have already come to settlements with the company, but the case of Harry and another litigant, former deputy leader of the Labour Party Tom Watson, will go to trial in January, with the hearing expected to last two months.

Harry's lawyer, David Sherborne, said his client would "relish" the opportunity to be heard in court.

Anthony Hudson, a lawyer for NGN, has said he expects to need four days to question Harry over 30 articles that the prince claims were based on information that had been obtained unlawfully. NGN claims the case has been brought too late for it to stand.

It will not be the first time Harry has found himself in such a setting because, in June 2023, he became the first member of the British royal family to give evidence in court for 130 years, when he took legal action against another publishing company, Mirror Group Newspapers, and won.

In that instance, he received "substantial" damages after it was deemed that his phones had been hacked with the knowledge of senior figures at Mirror Group.

In addition to these cases, he is involved in action against a third media organization, Associated Newspapers, whose most prominent title is the Daily Mail, relating to allegations of phone-hacking and other unlawful activities.

That case, in which Harry is one of seven litigants, including musician Elton John, is expected to reach trial at the start of 2026.

Harry, who is fifth in line to the British throne after his brother William and William's three children, lives in California with his wife Meghan. The couple announced that they were stepping back from official royal duties in Jan 2020.

julian@mail.chinadailyuk.com