Prince Harry today sought to drag the late Queen’s most senior courtiers into his legal battle against the Sun’s publisher.

The Duke of Sussex is demanding to see emails exchanged between News UK, publisher of the Sun, and Lord Christopher Geidt, Her Majesty’s private secretary until 2017, and his successor Sir Edward Young.

According to Harry’s lawyers, the courtiers held high-level discussions with newspaper executives in 2017 about receiving compensation and an apology “to the entire royal household, including the Queen” for “activities illegal” which would have included phone hacking.

The move threatens to further widen the rift between Harry and the king and his brother William. The Duke has previously claimed William received compensation from the newspaper despite being left out of a “secret” deal.

Today David Sherborne, on behalf of the Duke, said the emails showed the late Queen had personally approved threatening the publisher with legal action if he did not respond.

William and Harry arrive for the unveiling of a statue of Princess Diana at Kensington Palace in July 2021

Lord Christopher Geidt, private secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, at Sandringham in 2015

Sir Edward Young, Private Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, at the Senedd in Cardiff in 2021

Mr Sherborne read an email that year from Prince Harry to his brother William and his palace aides, urging them to support the “pursuit” of News UK, publisher of The Sun.

Harry said “it’s been a year since this started” and that the publisher was “playing us” with its alleged lack of response. Referring to his brother, Harry wrote: “W, do you agree?

A series of emails between palace officials and senior executives at the publisher, including Rebekah Brooks and Robert Thomson, who both served as chief executive, have been leaked by the publisher.

Mr Sherborne said they demonstrated there were discussions that the newspaper would pay compensation and apologize to members of the royal family who had been hacked by journalists.

He said: “They are important. Here they say they will consider apologizing and rewarding the entire royal household, including the Queen.

“This is an issue that is only addressed at the highest levels, it is extremely sensitive.”

But he said the email exchange was “not complete” and there were “obviously” other emails that had not been shown to his client.

The duke is asking the court to order the publisher to carry out further searches of his email database for his messages with palace courtiers.

Prince Harry with his lawyer David Sherborne at the High Court in London in June 2023

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in July 2018

Harry is one of two plaintiffs suing the media group, alongside his Labor colleague Lord Watson.

Another 39 claimants who were part of their class action lawsuit against the newspaper, including Spice Girl Melanie Brown, David Beckham’s father Ted, former WAG Louise Redknapp and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, all recently reached settlements at amicable.

This follows actor Hugh Grant settling the case in April for what he called “a huge sum of money”.

Now the cases of Harry, 40, and former deputy Labor leader Lord Watson, 57, are the only ones still ongoing, and a six-to-eight-week trial is expected to begin in January, although Mr. Sherborne previously said that was probably all the case. Plaintiffs could be forced to settle their dispute because they could end up with huge legal fees if they reject a settlement offer, even if they win at trial.

Harry has previously claimed there was a “secret deal” made behind his back by the palace and the publisher – a claim dismissed by Justice Fancourt last year as “improbable”.

Lord Christopher Geidt was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in March 2014.

Prince Harry with his father Charles at the Natural History Museum in London in April 2019

Harry’s lawyers claimed William settled a claim against the publisher “for a very large sum of money” in 2020 as part of the alleged “secret deal”.

The judge ruled last year that this showed the publisher was “prepared to settle with Prince William rather than be drawn into litigation, as he did with the Duke”.

The publisher has consistently rejected allegations of wrongdoing by Sun staff.

Objecting to Harry’s request for access to more emails, Anthony Hudson KC, on behalf of the publisher, said the Duke “has been aware of these types of emails for years years”.

He said it was very “late in the day” to request further research so close to the trial date, which would be “disproportionate, time-consuming and costly”.

He said the documents requested were “irrelevant” and “not necessary to ensure a fair trial”. He added: “This is not a justified request. »

The judge will consider the arguments before making a decision.