LONDON - Prince Harry, singer Elton John and five other high-profile British figures can have their lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail paper alleging widespread unlawful behaviour heard at trial, the High Court in London ruled on Friday.

Publisher Associated Newspapers (ANL) had sought at hearings in March to have the case thrown out, saying the claims were outside a six-year time limit for legal action.

Harry, the younger son of King Charles, Elton John, and the other five claimants accuse ANL, which publishes the Daily Mail, and the Mail on Sunday, of phone-hacking and other serious privacy breaches dating back 30 years. ANL has always denied involvement in unlawful practices.

"I consider that each claimant has a real prospect of demonstrating concealment by Associated that was not - and could not with reasonable diligence have been - discovered by the relevant claimant before October 2016," Judge Matthew Nicklin said in his ruling.

(Reporting by Michael Holden and Sam Tobin; Editing by Kate Holton)