LONDON (Reuters) – Prince Harry cannot amend his lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch’s British tabloid newspapers to include allegations involving his wife Meghan nor claims against the media mogul himself, London’s High Court said on Tuesday.
The prince and more than 40 others are suing News Group Newspapers (NGN) over accusations of unlawful activities by journalists and private investigators, for the Sun and the now-defunct News of the World, from the mid-1990s until 2016.
In March the British royal sought to amend his lawsuit to add new allegations, including that the Sun ordered private investigators to target his then girlfriend – and now wife Meghan – in 2016.
However, in a ruling on Tuesday, Judge Timothy Fancourt refused him permission to do so, and also to include allegations dating back to 1994 and 1995 involving his late mother, Princess Diana.
The judge also rejected an application to include allegations against Murdoch himself and other senior executives.
However, Harry was allowed to alter his case to include allegations the papers had bugged his landline phones, and to make accusations against further journalists and private investigators.
“The court in its judgment today has thoroughly vindicated NGN’s position and did not give permission to introduce large and significant portions of the amendments,” a spokesperson for NGN said.
(Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Sarah Young)
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