Last-minute settlement talks stall Prince Harry’s high-stakes trial against British tabloids

LONDON (AP) — The sequel to Prince Harry vs. the British tabloids stalled Tuesday amid settlement talks before the start of a high-stakes trial pitting him against Rupert Murdoch’s newspapers.

Harry, 40, the younger son of King Charles III, and one other claimant remain alone among hundreds who have settled lawsuits against News Group Newspapers, the publisher of The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World, over a llegations their phones were hacked and investigators unlawfully snooped on their lives.

It would be the first case of its kind to go to trial against the publisher since a widespread phone hacking scandal forced Murdoch to close News of the World in 2011. News Group has settled more than 1,300 other claims.

The trial, which was due to start Tuesday morning, was adjourned until the afternoon as the parties held private out-of-court settlement discussions.

When Judge Timothy Fancourt refused to allow a further delay until…