A timeline of events in Prince Harry's troubled relationship with the royal family

Hindustan Times

03-05-2025

LONDON — Prince Harry's troubled relationships with the British royal family, the U.K. establishment and the media have played out in public for years – in books and interviews, on television programs and in the courts.
The latest twist saw Harry give a revealing interview after a court rejected his attempt to restore the police protection that was stripped from him after he quit his royal duties and moved to the U.S. in 2020.
Here is a timeline of recent events involving Harry and the British royal family:
Prince Harry and American actor Meghan Markle meet on a blind date set up by a mutual friend.
Harry confirms Markle is his girlfriend and condemns press coverage of her. He says he fears for her safety and says press coverage crossed the line and used 'racial undertones' in its stories. His comments remind many that his mother, Princess Diana, had died in a car crash while being pursued by photographers.
Harry and Meghan announce their engagement.
Meghan and Harry get married in a grand ceremony at Windsor Castle.
Harry launches lawsuits against three newspaper groups — Rupert Murdoch's News Group, the Mirror Group and Associated Newspapers. He claims stories about his schooldays, teenage shenanigans and relationships with girlfriends were obtained by hacking, bugging, deception or other forms of illegal intrusion.
Harry and Meghan's son Archie is born.
Harry and Meghan announce they plan to 'step back' as senior royals and become financially independent. The decision soon becomes a major rift, and the couple moves to Meghan's native California.
The committee that oversees royal security decides Harry will not receive the same level of taxpayer-funded protection as he did when he was a full-time royal.
Harry launches legal action against the U.K. government over the security decision.
Meghan wins an invasion of privacy lawsuit against Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers over publication of a letter she wrote in 2018 to her estranged father.
Meghan and Harry's daughter Lilibet is born.
Queen Elizabeth II dies aged 96 after 70 years on the throne. Her eldest son becomes King Charles III.
Harry's ghostwritten memoir 'Spare' is published and becomes a best-seller. It recounts Harry's grief at the death of his mother when he was 12, his frustrations in his royal role and anger at his father, brother, stepmother and the media, among others.
King Charles is crowned at Westminster Abbey. Harry attends without Meghan or the children.
Harry testifies in his case against the Mirror Group, becoming the first British royal in more than a century to appear in the witness box.
A three-day court hearing begins on Harry's claim over his security. Lawyers for the prince argue the decision to downgrade his protection was 'unlawful and unfair.'
Harry wins his case against the Mirror Group when a judge rules that Mirror newspapers had hired private investigators to snoop for personal information and engaged in illegal phone hacking for well over a decade. He is awarded legal costs and 140,000 pounds in damages.
Buckingham Palace announces that King Charles has cancer and will receive treatment. Officials don't say what form of cancer the king has.
Prince Harry arrives in the U.K. from California to visit his father. He departs the next day.
The High Court dismisses Harry's claim.
The Court of Appeal decision giving Harry permission to challenge the ruling over his security. is published.
The publisher of tabloid newspaper The Sun settles a lawsuit, offering Harry ' a full and unequivocal apology ' for intruding on his private life between 1996 and 2011, including incidents of unlawful activities.
Harry attends a two-day appeal hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice, where his lawyers argue he has been 'singled out' for 'inferior treatment' over his security.
Three Court of Appeal judges dismiss Harry's case, saying the security decision was 'sensible.' Harry responds in an interview, saying the decision means he can't bring his wife and children to his home country. He says he wants reconciliation with his family, saying 'there's no point in continuing to fight anymore.'