Kate Middleton has lent her public support to a campaign launched by tabloid newspaper The Sun, which is embroiled in a lawsuit with her brother-in-law, Prince Harry, over allegations of historic phone-hacking and other illegal information-gathering techniques.
In a statement given to the paper which was published on Sunday, Kate said she was "very proud" to support the "Baby, Bank On Us" appeal launched by The Sun's Fabulous magazine, which aims to provide support to the 200 baby banks around Britain that support young families by providing essential items such as diapers, clothes and formula.
Kate, wife of heir-to-the-throne Prince William, is a long-time supporter of the baby bank scheme, having secured donations from a number of high-profile U.K. brands to the organization during the COVID pandemic in 2020.
The royal has also paid a number of visits to banks around the country, most recently in April, helping volunteers at their site near her home in Windsor.
Per The Sun, the princess said of the paper's appeal, which has been launched in conjunction with the Save The Children charity: "Early childhood lays the foundations which shape the rest of our lives.
"The relationships young children form, their experiences, and the environment they grow up in matter.
"So, supporting and building capacity for those caring for the youngest members of our society is absolutely essential—especially in these increasingly challenging times.
"I am very proud to support this campaign to encourage everyone to play their part in volunteering or donating to this vital cause.
"Because the children of today will build the society of the future."
The endorsement from Kate comes as The Sun and its publisher News Group Newspapers (NGN) took part in preliminary hearings in April over Harry's allegations that stories written about him by two of the group's titles between 1994 and 2016 were informed using illegal information-gathering techniques.
The group has denied that phone-hacking took place at The Sun, and for claims against its now defunct title, the News of The World, it has argued that the prince is too late in filing any claim as the standard six-year cut off point for such cases has expired.
In countering, Harry has argued that the true nature of the illegal activity against him was withheld by Buckingham Palace and senior aides, meaning he was not fully aware of any case he could bring until around 2018.
A High Court judge is currently deciding whether Harry has a right to a summary judgement—meaning there is enough evidence for him to secure a win without going to trial.
The lawsuit is just one brought by the prince in his fight to hold U.K. tabloids to account for alleged unlawful activity against him and those close to him. Since marrying Meghan Markle in 2018, Harry has spoken publicly about his desire to protect his family from tabloid targeting and to change the media landscape for the sake of his children and others.
In addition to suing NGN, the royal also has active lawsuits against Associated Newspapers Limited (publishers of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday) and Mirror Group Newspapers (publishers of the Daily Mirror and Sunday People).
The prince is not alone in being subject to alleged misconduct by tabloid sources. Both Prince William and Kate Middleton have faced similar treatment. As part of his NGN lawsuit, Harry revealed in court filings that William had settled his own claim against the publisher in 2020.
This is not the first time that Kate has lent her support to a charity appeal held by The Sun since the legal case brought against it by Harry. In March 2023, the princess, together with Prince William, praised the paper's readers for their efforts in raising money for earthquake victims in Syria and Turkey.
Via a spokesperson the royal couple said: "We'd like to thank every Sun reader who's donated to this important cause."
Newsweek approached Kensington Palace via email for comment.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
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