Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has reportedly faced a major setback in his latest legal battle — one that recently drew in Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Last week, it was revealed that Harry had included his brother and sister-in-law in new allegations connected to his ongoing lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail, Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL). However, those fresh claims have now been dismissed by a High Court judge.

Harry is one of seven high-profile figures accusing ANL of “grave breaches of privacy.” The other claimants include Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish, actress Elizabeth Hurley, former MP Sir Simon Hughes, and actress Sadie Frost.

The claimants allege that the publisher engaged in unlawful practices such as phone hacking, home bugging, and obtaining private medical and financial information through dishonest means. ANL has repeatedly denied the accusations, insisting the claims were made “far too late.”

During a preliminary hearing last week, Harry’s barrister, David Sherborne, reportedly sought to add a new set of allegations — suggesting that Prince William, Kate Middleton, and even the late Princess Diana may also have been targets of unlawful information gathering.

The alleged incidents include surveillance around William’s 21st birthday party and attempts to access phone data linked to Kate.

However, in a ruling delivered on October 10, Mr Justice Nicklin of the High Court rejected the new claims, siding with ANL’s motion to have them struck out before trial.

“Even if proved true, they cannot assist in the fair resolution of the claimants’ claims,” the judge reportedly stated, describing the new line of argument as “unorthodox.” He added, “Put bluntly, it has become a complex and involved side-show.”

Justice Nicklin also ruled that the allegations involving Princess Catherine had been introduced too late in the legal process.

The claimants’ legal team is expected to appeal the decision, with another preliminary hearing scheduled for next month. The full trial, which could last up to nine weeks, is currently set to begin in January 2026.

This development follows Harry’s earlier settlement in 2023 with Mirror Group Newspapers, bringing to an end his separate years-long phone hacking case.