Prince Harry won his case, but it’s no triumph. A hollow victory.
There was a payout, but no proof of phone hacking. Back in the day, it was accepted private investigators pocketed cash while journalists remained unaware of their methods.
The real winners, as always, were the lawyers, laughing all the way to the bank.
Harry’s obsessive, daft war against the British press isn’t just misguided — it’s outdated.
The dragons — or demons — he fights are in his heads. He is no “dragon slayer”.
Harry alleged he was targeted by journalists and private investigators working for News Group News-papers (NGN), which also published the now-defunct News Of The World.
Fleet Street changed long ago. The tabloids he rails against are not the same as they were after Diana’s death. Regulation, public scrutiny, and corporate ownership have neutered them. What remains of their bite is essential for democracy.
Without a free press, scandals like those involving Jimmy Savile or Huw Edwards would have stayed buried. Press freedom is messy but necessary. Politicians must be held to account, and so must the monarchy. Ours is a constitutional system, where power is scrutinised in every corner, including Buckingham Palace.
Harry’s fixation on past grievances is corrosive. He’s fighting ghosts, dragging his family and the Crown into his vendetta. Meanwhile, the King battles cancer, bearing the weight of the Crown and his son’s relentless antics.
Harry forgets that he has two parents. Losing Diana was tragic; losing the King now, so early in his reign, would devastate both the family and the nation.
At the heart of Harry’s campaign is rank hypocrisy. He demands privacy while invading the privacy of others — his father included. He claims moral high ground while still benefiting from royal finances.
The press isn’t perfect, but demonising it entirely is dangerous. Bad actors exist everywhere, but Harry’s campaign risks eroding the press.
Robert Jobson is the Standard’s Royal Editor
