The Duke of Sussex may find himself compelled to resolve his High Court claim against The Sun’s publisher due to the “impossible” legal expenses involved, as acknowledged by his barrister, David Sherborne.

Sherborne highlighted that Prince Harry faces a similar dilemma to fellow claimant Hugh Grant, who recently disclosed settling with News Group Newspapers (NGN) for a substantial amount to avoid the risk of an estimated £10 million legal bill.

Alongside the Duke of Sussex, the 63-year-old actor, along with over 40 others, had filed suits against NGN citing alleged unlawful information gathering and invasion of privacy.

A trial is slated for January 2025. In a similar vein, actress Sienna Miller settled her own case against the publisher in 2021 due to the potential financial burden of legal fees, even in the event of winning the case.

Mr Sherborne told the High Court on Wednesday: “The Duke of Sussex is subject to the same issues that Sienna Miller and Hugh Grant have been subject to, which is that offers are made (which) make it impossible for them to go ahead.”

Grant asserted that he was subjected to targeting by journalists and private investigators affiliated with The Sun, alleging activities such as “burglaries to order, breaking and entering private property to obtain confidential information through bugging, landline tapping, and phone hacking.”

Despite these claims, he explained that he was compelled to reach a settlement due to the regulations governing civil litigation. Grant emphasized that if he were awarded damages even slightly lower than the settlement offer, he would be responsible for covering the legal expenses of both parties.

 “As is common with entirely innocent people, they are offering me an enormous sum of money to keep this matter out of court,” he wrote in a lengthy explanation on Twitter/X.

‘I Don’t Want to Accept This Money or Settle’

“I don’t want to accept this money or settle. I would love to see all the allegations that they deny tested in court. [NGN owner] Rupert Murdoch’s lawyers are very expensive. So even if every allegation is proven in court, I would still be liable for something approaching £10 million in costs. I’m afraid I am shying at that fence.” NGN said it was “in both parties’ financial interests not to progress to a costly trial”.

Since its inception during the phone hacking scandal in 2011, the Hacked Off campaign against the tabloid newspaper industry has been prominently represented by the actor known for roles in “Love Actually” and “Notting Hill.”

In 2012, he assumed the role of director in a not-for-profit organization established by the campaign and played a pivotal role in the Leveson Inquiry into press standards. However, last May, he faced a notable setback when his opportunity to pursue the phone hacking aspect of his claim in court was denied on the grounds of being filed too late.