Prince Harry and singer Sir Elton John are among a group of celebrities launching legal action against Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers, alleging phone-tapping and other breaches of privacy, a law firm for the group said on Thursday.
The group includes actresses Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost, Sir Elton's partner and filmmaker David Furnish, and Doreen Lawrence, mother of teenager Stephen Lawrence, who was murdered in a racist attack in 1993.
Evidence from the plaintiffs reportedly point to breaches of privacy by Associated Newspapers, including placing listening devices inside people's cars and homes, as well as commissioning the bugging of live, private telephone calls, law firm Hamlins said in a statement.
Hamlins is representing Prince Harry and Frost, while Ms Lawrence, Hurley, Sir Elton and Mr Furnish are being represented by Gunnercooke, the statement said.
The Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan Markle's relations with Britain's tabloid press collapsed after they were married in 2018. The couple have previously said they would have “zero engagement” with four major British papers, including The Daily Mail, accusing them of false and invasive coverage.
The couple also cited media intrusion as a major factor in their decision to step down from royal duties and move to the US
Associated Newspapers, the publisher behind The Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday and the Mail Online, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Meghan Markle's style evolution — in pictures
A meeting of young minds
The 3,494 entries for the 2019 Sharjah Children Biennial come from:
435 – UAE
2,000 – China
808 – United Kingdom
165 – Argentina
38 – Lebanon
16 – Saudi Arabia
16 – Bangladesh
6 – Ireland
3 – Egypt
3 – France
2 – Sudan
1 – Kuwait
1 – Australia
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Grubtech
Founders: Mohamed Al Fayed and Mohammed Hammedi
Launched: October 2019
Employees: 50
Financing stage: Seed round (raised $2 million)
More coverage from the Future Forum
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Friday's schedule in Madrid
Men's quarter-finals
Novak Djokivic (1) v Marin Cilic (9) from 2pm UAE time
Roger Federer (4) v Dominic Thiem (5) from 7pm
Stefanos Tsitsipas (8) v Alexander Zverev (3) from 9.30pm
Stan Wawrinka v Rafael Nadal (2) from 11.30pm
Women's semi-finals
Belinda Bencic v Simona Halep (3) from 4.30pm
Sloane Stephens (8) v Kiki Bertens (7) from 10pm
