Major Controversies Surrounding Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex: A Detailed Timeline

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is a prominent member of the British royal family. He is the younger son of King Charles III and the late Diana, Princess of Wales. Currently fifth in line to the British throne, his role within the monarchy has evolved significantly in recent years. He served in the British Army, undertaking two tours of Afghanistan. In 2018, he married Meghan Markle, and they have two children. In 2020, Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior working royals and relocated to the United States, pursuing financial independence through various ventures. They have since spoken openly about their experiences within the royal family, leading to considerable media attention and public discussion.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1996: Intrusion by The Sun

Between 1996 and 2011, The Sun engaged in "serious intrusion" into Prince Harry's life.

2001: Harry smokes cannabis and drinks at Highgrove House

In the summer of 2001, Harry smoked cannabis and drank at his father's Highgrove House and at a local pub.

2002: Harry visits drug rehabilitation unit

In 2002, it was reported that, with Charles's encouragement, Harry had paid a visit to a drug rehabilitation unit to talk to drug addicts.

January 2005: Comment about Chelsy Davy

In January 2005, Prince Harry responded to an inquiry about his then Zimbabwean girlfriend Chelsy Davy by stating "She's not black or anything, you know".

2005: Nazi uniform controversy

In early 2005, Prince Harry was photographed wearing a Nazi German Afrika Korps uniform at a themed party, which sparked widespread criticism. He later issued a public apology.

October 2007: Video surfaces of Prince Harry's trip to Namibia

In October 2007, a video from Prince Harry's trip to Namibia with his friends surfaced, which showed him snorting vodka and licking a male friend's nipples.

November 2008: Allegation by Stephen K. Amos

In November 2008, British comedian Stephen K. Amos alleged that Prince Harry made a racially insensitive comment after his performance at Prince Charles's 60th birthday celebrations.

January 2009: Racist remarks video revealed

In January 2009, a video from three years prior surfaced showing Prince Harry using racist terms, leading to widespread condemnation. Clarence House issued an apology, and Harry was reportedly instructed to attend a diversity course.

August 2012: Naked photographs leaked from Las Vegas

In August 2012, naked photographs of Prince Harry in a Las Vegas hotel room were leaked by TMZ, generating widespread media coverage. The British media hesitated to publish them.

October 2013: Jo Brand's joke on Have I Got News for You

In October 2013, Jo Brand made a joke on Have I Got News for You about Prince George and Harry, implying drug use. Kensington Palace contacted the BBC, which apologized for a "factual inaccuracy" but not for the comment itself.

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February 2014: Ashraf Islam sentenced for plotting to murder Harry

In February 2014, Ashraf Islam was sentenced to three years in prison for plotting to murder Harry, motivated by his belief that Harry had "a moral guilt" from being in the army.

January 2016: Harry admits to taking magic mushrooms at Courteney Cox's house

In his memoir, Spare, Harry detailed taking magic mushrooms at a party at Courteney Cox's house in January 2016.

May 2019: Splash News Apology and Damages

In May 2019, Splash News formally apologized to the Sussexes for endangering their privacy by sending photographers to their Cotswolds residence. The agency also agreed to pay damages and legal costs related to the case.

June 2019: Reactions to royal family's carbon footprint

In June 2019, the royal family faced reactions after it was revealed that they had doubled their carbon footprint from business travel.

June 2019: Neo-Nazis jailed for sharing propaganda against Harry

In June 2019, two members of the neo-Nazi group Sonnenkrieg Division were jailed for sharing propaganda posters, one of which labelled Harry as a "race traitor" with a gun pointed at his head.

July 2019: The Sun payments to royal official's partner

In July 2019, it was alleged that The Sun made two payments amounting to £4,000 to the partner of a royal official in relation to stories published in June and July 2019 which detailed the nannying and god-parenting arrangements for Harry and Meghan's son Archie.

August 2019: Criticism for private jet travel

In August 2019, Harry and Meghan faced criticism for reportedly taking four private jet journeys in 11 days, including one to Elton John's home in Nice, France. The backlash was related to their environmental activism.

October 2019: Lawsuit against Daily Mirror, The Sun, and News of the World

In October 2019, it was announced that Harry had sued the Daily Mirror, The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World "in relation to alleged phone-hacking". Harry sought damages in excess of £200,000 from the publisher of the News of the World and The Sun and alleged an earlier agreement between News Group Newspapers (NGN) and the royal family which would see he and William not take legal action in return for an apology had not been honoured.

December 2019: PA Media Retracts Christmas Card Photo

In December 2019, PA Media retracted the publication of a Christmas card photograph of Harry, Meghan, and their son Archie because the photograph was "not representative of the Christmas card sent by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex".

January 2020: Prank by Russian comedy duo

In January 2020, Prince Harry was pranked by the Russian comedy duo Vovan and Lexus, who pretended to be climate activist Greta Thunberg and her father. During the phone calls, Harry discussed his decision to leave the monarchy and criticised Donald Trump's stance on climate change and his support of the coal industry.

January 2020: Legal Warning to the Press

In January 2020, lawyers issued a legal warning to the press after paparazzi photographs of Harry and Meghan were published in the media without their consent.

January 2020: IPSO sides with Mail on Sunday in Instagram photo dispute

In January 2020, the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) sided with the Mail on Sunday over a dispute with Harry regarding an Instagram photo. The IPSO rejected Harry's claim that the paper's description of elephants being "tranquilised" and "tethered" was inaccurate.

January 2020: Megxit Story and Announcement

On January 8, 2020, Dan Wootton broke the story about "Megxit" and Harry and Meghan's initial plans for moving to Canada in The Sun, which prompted the couple to issue an announcement within hours, confirming their plans for stepping back from their royal duties. Sources close to the couple told The New York Times that they "felt forced to disclose their plans prematurely" as they learned about The Sun's intentions to publish the story.

March 2020: Lawsuit Against Splash UK

In March 2020, Harry and Meghan took Splash UK to court after the Duchess and their son were photographed without permission during a "private family outing" while they were staying in Canada.

April 2020: Cooperation Boycott

In April 2020, Harry and Meghan announced that they would no longer cooperate with the Daily Mail, the Sun, the Mirror, and the Express.

June 2020: Threat to Sue The Sun and Dan Wootton

In June 2020, Harry's lawyers issued a 'letter before action', threatening to sue the Sun and Dan Wootton based on allegations that they had paid money to associates of palace officials to secure their stories about the nannying and god-parenting arrangements for Harry and Meghan's son Archie.

September 2020: Legal Complaint Against The Times

In September 2020, Harry issued a legal complaint against The Times over an article claiming an Invictus Games fundraiser had been cancelled due to its affiliation with a competitor of Netflix, Harry's business partner.

September 2020: Video addressing American voters

In September 2020, Prince Harry and his wife released a video urging American voters to "reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity" in the 2020 United States presidential election, which was perceived by some as supporting Joe Biden.

December 2020: Lawsuit against Associated Newspapers Limited

In December 2020, Harry's legal team sued Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) for publishing a story in the Mail on Sunday claiming his working relationship with the Royal Marines had suffered. The newspaper later accepted the claims were false and issued an apology. The damages were donated to the Invictus Games Foundation.

March 2021: Charity Commission review of Sussex Royal

In March 2021, the Charity Commission for England and Wales conducted a review of the Sussex Royal organisation regarding its conduct during dissolution, later criticizing the board for fund expenditure.

May 2021: Appearance on Armchair Expert podcast

In May 2021, Prince Harry appeared on the Armchair Expert podcast where he talked about freedom of speech and laws related to it in the United States, expressing his confusion and emphasizing the potential exploitation of unspoken words. His comments were met with criticism from conservative Americans and Britons.

June 2021: BBC Defamation Claim

In June 2021, the BBC reported that Harry and Meghan had not sought the Queen's permission before naming their daughter Lilibet with her personal family nickname. Lawyers for the couple subsequently accused the BBC of defamation, stating that Harry had spoken to the Queen before announcing their daughter's name.

August 2021: Backlash for private jet use to charity polo tournament

In August 2021, Harry received backlash for taking a two-hour flight on private jets between California and Aspen, Colorado, to participate in an annual charity polo tournament.

October 2021: Bot Sentinel Report on Negative Content

In October 2021, Twitter analytics service Bot Sentinel alleged that 83 accounts were responsible for approximately 70% of the negative content posted about Harry and Meghan, prompting an investigation by Twitter.

December 2021: "CBE scandal" and severance of ties with Mahfouz

In December 2021, reports emerged about Prince Harry's meetings with Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz, leading to the "CBE scandal." Harry stated he severed ties with Mahfouz in 2015 due to concerns about his motives.

2021: Alleged Gavin Burrows' statement used as a key element in the case

In 2021, Gavin Burrows' alleged statement was used as a key element in the case. He declared it wasn't signed by him and was "a cut and paste from my evidence".

January 2022: Legal Complaint Against The Times

In January 2022, Harry and Meghan mutually filed a legal complaint against The Times for an article reporting on Archewell raising less than $50,000 in 2020.

January 2022: Fake Advertisements Using Harry and Meghan's Images

In January 2022, the BBC reported that Harry and Meghan's photos and videos were used in fake instant profits advertisements and bitcoin-related investment schemes.

February 2022: Libel suit against ANL for Mail on Sunday article

In February 2022, Harry filed a libel suit in the High Court against ANL for a Mail on Sunday article alleging he tried to keep his legal battle against the Home Office secret.

June 2022: Private jet use after Queen's Platinum Jubilee

In June 2022, Harry and Meghan boarded a private jet on their way to California after the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. It was estimated that the jet emitted ten times more carbon than flying commercial.

June 2022: Reaction to Supreme Court decision

In June 2022, Meghan described Prince Harry's reaction to the Supreme Court of the United States's decision that abortion is not a protected constitutional right as "guttural".

June 2022: Parts of article deemed potentially defamatory

In June 2022, Mr Justice Nicklin ruled that parts of the Mail on Sunday article were potentially defamatory, though he rejected claims that the article portrayed Harry as a liar.

July 2022: Address to the United Nations on Mandela Day

In July 2022, Prince Harry condemned the Supreme Court's decision on abortion as a "rolling back of constitutional rights" during his address to the United Nations on Mandela Day. Associate justice of the Supreme Court Samuel Alito criticized foreign figures, including Harry, for their comments on "American law".

October 2022: Legal action against ANL for alleged criminal activity

In October 2022, Harry joined others in launching a legal action against ANL for alleged "abhorrent criminal activity", including phone hacking and obtaining sensitive information.

December 2022: Harry ranked as third most disliked royal

In December 2022, Harry was identified as the third most disliked member of the British royal family by YouGov, following Prince Andrew and Meghan, after the release of his interview with Oprah Winfrey, his Netflix docuseries, and his memoir.

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January 2023: Memoir "Spare" reveals killing of 25 Taliban members

In January 2023, Harry's memoir "Spare" revealed that he killed 25 Taliban members during his six missions. He stated he was trained to view them as chess pieces and felt neither satisfaction nor shame. These revelations prompted backlash and security concerns.

Spare

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January 2023: High Court ruling on phone hacking lawsuit

In January 2023, a High Court judge ruled that Harry's lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) as well as other similar lawsuits against the publisher would go to trial in May 2023.

March 2023: Heritage Foundation sent dossier on Harry's drug use

In March 2023, the Heritage Foundation (HF) sent a dossier on Prince Harry's drug use to different government entities, inquiring if he admitted to past drug use on his U.S. visa application.

March 2023: Gabor Maté's Public Diagnosis Suggestion

In a live-streamed interview in March 2023, physician Gabor Maté publicly suggested that Harry could be suffering from PTSD, ADD, anxiety, and depression, based on his conversation with him and having read his autobiography Spare.

Spare

Check it on Amazon

May 2023: Trial begins, MGN admits to unlawful information gathering

In May 2023, at the beginning of trial, MGN apologised for one instance of unlawful information gathering against Harry and added that his legal challenge "warrants compensation".

June 2023: Harry testifies in phone hacking case

In June 2023, Harry testified in the court case accusing former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan of personal attacks and claiming his phone had been hacked since he was at Eton. His appearance marked the first time a member of the royal family had been cross-examined in court since 1891.

June 2023: Criticism of UK government in witness statement

In June 2023, Prince Harry broke royal protocol by criticizing the UK government in his witness statement to a court, arguing that both the British press and the government were "at rock bottom."

July 2023: Partial dismissal of phone-hacking claims

In July 2023, the judge ruled that part of Harry's case involving allegations of illegal information gathering would go to trial but his phone-hacking claims were dismissed for being made too late.

November 2023: Case to proceed, some evidence inadmissible

In November 2023, Mr Justice Nicklin ruled that the case brought by Harry and the other claimants against ANL could proceed but unpublished material provided to the Leveson Inquiry was inadmissible as proof in this case.

December 2023: High Court rules in favour of Harry in phone hacking case

In December 2023, the High Court ruled in favor of Harry for 15 of the 33 sample stories used in his claims of phone hacking against MGN and awarded him £140,600 of the £440,000 he sought in damages.

December 2023: Motion rejected, trial to proceed

In December 2023, the judge rejected Harry's motion to have the publisher's defence thrown out and decided that the case should proceed to trial.

2023: Satirized in South Park

In 2023, Harry and Meghan's exit from the royal family was satirized in an episode of South Park.

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January 2024: Harry withdraws libel claim

In January 2024, Harry withdrew the libel claim and became liable for the publisher's £250,000 legal costs.

January 2024: Neo-Nazis Sentenced for Terrorism

In January 2024, two neo-Nazis, Christopher Gibbons and Tyrone Patten-Walsh, were given prison sentences between 8 and 11 years for terrorism, which included calling for the deaths of Harry and his son Archie on their podcast.

February 2024: Harry settles phone hacking claim with MGN

In February 2024, Harry settled his claim with MGN. The publisher agreed to cover Harry's legal costs and pay damages reported to be in the region of £300,000.

March 2024: Mention in lawsuit against P. Diddy

In March 2024, Prince Harry was mentioned in a lawsuit against P. Diddy, who faced allegations of sexual trafficking. Harry was noted as a celebrity associate of P. Diddy.

March 2024: U.S. government ordered to hand over visa application details

In March 2024, the U.S. government was ordered to hand over Prince Harry's visa application details to a D.C. court following a failed freedom of information request by the Heritage Foundation (HF).

May 2024: Claims against Rupert Murdoch refused

In May 2024, Mr Justice Fancourt refused Harry the permission to include claims against Rupert Murdoch, expand his case's scope back to 1994 and 1995 to cover allegations involving his mother or to add new allegations from 2016 involving his then-girlfriend Meghan.

September 2024: Case brought forward by the Heritage Foundation closed

In September 2024, the case brought forward by the Heritage Foundation (HF) was closed due to the filing of two sealed orders and a sealed "memorandum opinion". The HF subsequently filed a request to "vacate" the ruling and release confidential correspondence between the judge and DHS.

October 2024: Settlement or trial to proceed

In October 2024, the judge announced that the two sides should either settle or go to trial in January 2025 and refused to let Harry's team include allegations that bugs were placed in rooms and cars, and trackers placed on vehicles as "no particulars whatsoever of such allegations" were provided.

January 2025: Criticism for food bank appearance

In January 2025, Justine Bateman criticized Harry and Meghan's appearance at a food bank during the Southern California wildfires, calling them "disaster tourists" seeking a "photo op".

January 2025: Settlement with NGN

In January 2025, the two parties settled with NGN paying more than £10 million in pay outs and legal fees. NGN made a "full and unequivocal apology" for "serious intrusion" by The Sun between 1996 and 2011, and for the intrusion into the life of his mother.

March 2025: Redacted court documents ordered to be released

In March 2025, Judge Carl Nichols ordered the release of redacted versions of court documents related to Prince Harry's visa application by 18 March 2025.