Prince sues UK tabloids over hacking allegations

Britain's Prince Harry has taken legal action against the publishers of the Daily Mirror and The Sun newspapers over phone-hacking claims.

Buckingham Palace confirmed British media reports that documents were filed on behalf of the prince over the alleged illegal interception of his voicemail messages. But a palace spokesman said he could not give further details at this stage.

The reports come only days after Harry's wife, Meghan, announced she was suing The Mail on Sunday newspaper over the alleged publication of extracts from a letter that the paper says she wrote to her father.

The prince, the duke of Sussex, issued a statement condemning what he called "relentless propaganda" and "bullying" behavior that "destroys people and destroys lives".

The Telegraph said Geordie Greig, editor of The Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday's sister paper, had said: "I think Meghan gets a bad press because, if you get into a lecturing position and you don't be seen to do what you're saying, that is a problem."

The legal claims could result in both Harry and his wife appearing in the witness box, something a senior member of the royal family has not done for more than a century.

David Sherborne, a barrister who specializes in cases related to privacy, confidentiality, and defamation, is reported to be representing the couple. His former clients include the actor Hugh Grant and Harry's late mother, Diana.

"We confirm that a claim has been issued by the duke of Sussex. We have no further comment to make at the current time," said a spokesman for News Group Newspapers, which publishes The Sun.

The Press Association reported that a source close to the Daily Mirror newspaper said the publication was aware proceedings had been started against it but that official notification had not yet been received.

According to Jonny Dymond, a royal correspondent with the BBC, the presumption is that the legal action may be connected to the phone-hacking scandal of the mid-2000s. News Group shut down its News of the World tabloid in 2011 over lawsuits and claims that its reporters had hacked the personal phones of celebrities. The BBC said Harry's allegations against News Group appear to be about issues that predate 2010, but the dates related to his claims against the Mirror are not clear.