View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
April 2, 2007updated 17 May 2007 11:30am

Prince Charles faces new legal challenge over Hong Kong journals

By Press Gazette

The Prince of Wales is still facing a legal battle over a newspaper's plan to publish his private journals – despite the emphatic first-round victory he scored in the Court of Appeal last year.

Charles's lawyers argued in the High Court today that the Mail on Sunday had "failed spectacularly" when appeal judges ruled that it infringed his copyright and confidentiality by publishing extracts from his 1997 journal about the hand-over of Hong Kong to mainland China.

The newspaper therefore had no excuse for continuing to hold on to seven other leaked journals to which the same principles applied, said Hugh Tomlinson QC.

He asked for an on-the-spot "summary judgment" protecting the privacy of the other diaries.

But barrister Pushpinder Saini, for Associated Newspapers, which publishes the Mail on Sunday, told Mr Justice Blackburne that the newspaper wanted time to file evidence on "public interest" issues different from those in the case of the Hong Kong journal.

Mr Saini also pointed out that the Mail on Sunday was in the process of applying to the House of Lords for permission to appeal against the Court of Appeal decision.

The judge adjourned the case for a one-day hearing in the week beginning May 21.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Charles took action after the Mail on Sunday published extracts from his diary about the handover – entitled The Handover Of Hong Kong or The Great Chinese Takeaway – in which he referred to members of the Chinese hierarchy as "appalling old waxworks".

The journal and seven others had been disclosed to the newspaper by Sarah Goodall, a disaffected former secretary in the Prince's office, although she had signed a confidentiality agreement.

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network