Prince Harry’s move to take legal action against tabloids for alleged phone hacking is part of the royal’s ramped-up aggressive PR approach designed to send a message to the media, according to commentators.

It emerged on Friday night that the Duke of Sussex – who released a strongly worded attack on the British media for their treatment of his wife, Meghan, earlier this week – has issued legal proceedings against the owners of the Sun and the Daily Mirror.

Buckingham Palace confirmed claims had been filed at the high court regarding alleged illegal interception of voicemail messages. It comes after a separate legal action was launched by the duchess against the Mail on Sunday for alleged breach of privacy and copyright infringement over the newspaper’s decision to publish a private letter she sent to her estranged father.

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It is not known precisely which period the alleged hacking relates to, although it is likely to be historical. It is understood there is a six-year limit on claims, which begins when the claimant first learns about the offence.