Prince Harry has been embroiled in another tabloid lawsuit, allegedly causing more strain on his relationships with his brother and father. However, he has won a recent legal triumph in a substantial portion of his phone-hacking case against the Daily Mirror, and he delivered a message after his victory, making it clear that he hasn’t been “burned,” even as he took on the “Dragons” behind his privacy invasion.
The saga began when it was revealed that The Duke of Sussex’s phone had been hacked, leading to a breach of his personal and private information. Prince Harry and his legal team took swift action, filing a lawsuit against the perpetrators responsible. As reported by People, the Prince’s lawyer passionately delivered a message on behalf of his royal client through a statement. The statement read:
Today is a great day for truth as well as accountability. I’ve been told that slaying dragons will get you burned. But in light of today’s victory and the importance of doing what is needed for a free and honest press – it’s a worthwhile price to pay. The mission continues.
The judge found that 15 of 33 articles about Prince Harry resulted from hacking. This illegal intrusion occurred from 2003 to 2009, allegedly orchestrated by senior figures at the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, and People newspapers. Recognizing the distress caused, the prince was awarded £140,600 in damages.
The seven-week saga unveiled Prince Harry’s accusations against the newspaper’s publisher, alleging years of targeting through phone hacking and other nefarious activities to reveal details about his private life. Breaking from tradition, the Duke of Sussex became the first royal in 130 years to take the witness stand, exposing the illegal publication of stories about his personal life, family, military service, and alleged drug use.
Prince Harry also directed his focus at former Mirror editors, including Piers Morgan. Despite Morgan’s consistent denial of any knowledge of phone hacking during his tenure as editor from 1995 to 2004, the judge’s ruling laid bare the extent of malpractice, underscoring widespread unlawful investigations and phone hacking.
Notably, Morgan made headlines in 2021 when he walked off the set of Good Morning Britain amid controversy surrounding his comments on the royal couple’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey. His questioning of Meghan Markle’s race-related claims and doubts about her mental health struggles, even contemplating suicide, stirred considerable backlash.
MGN is facing over 100 lawsuits for alleged illegal activities spanning from 1991 to 2022. The claimants, including Prince Harry, assert that senior editors and executives at MGN were complicit in and approved these actions. MGN, however, denies the allegations, contending that some claims were brought too late.
As Prince Harry navigates these legal battles, questions linger about their impact on his strained relationship with King Charles and Prince William. He garnered attention and tested family ties with revelations during the Oprah interview and his bombshell memoir, Spare. Recent insiders suggest a potential reconciliation isn’t entirely out of reach, with Harry reportedly seeking a “truce” due to challenges arising from his decision to leave England.
The Duke of Sussex is one of four representative claimants chosen for trial from a larger group suing the publisher, alongside Nikki Sanderson, Michael Turner, and Fiona Wightman, who appeared in court in June. Engaged in four lawsuits against U.K. newspaper publishers, the royal family member’s legal battles continue.
For more royal family drama, check out the docuseries Harry & Meghan, available with a Netflix subscription.
