Prince Harry Wins 'Substantial' Payout In Phone Hacking Case Against UK Tabloid
LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 7: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, gives a thumbs up as he leaves after giving evidence at the Mirror Group Phone hacking trial at the Rolls Building at High Court on June 7, 2023 in London, England. Prince Harry is one of several claimants in a lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers related to allegations of unlawful information gathering in previous decades.
Prince Harry will receive a "substantial" payout following the resolution of the remaining aspects of his phone-hacking case against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN).
Harry's lawyer David Sherborne confirmed the settlement, disclosing that MGN — the publisher of the British tabloid 'The Daily Mirror' — will compensate the Duke of Sussex with "a substantial additional sum by way of damages" along with covering his legal costs, as reported by PA Media.
In December, the court ruled that Prince Harry, 39, was indeed a victim of phone hacking and other forms of "unlawful information gathering" by MGN.
As a result, the judge granted Harry £140,600 ($177,000) in damages.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - MARCH 30: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice on March 30, 2023 in London, England. Prince Harry is one of several claimants in a lawsuit against Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail.
In a statement read by his lawyer outside court on Friday, Prince Harry asserted, "Everything we said was happening at Mirror Group was, in fact, happening, and indeed far worse, as the court ruled in its extremely damaging judgment."
"As the judge has said this morning, we have uncovered and proved the shockingly dishonest way the Mirror Group acted for many years and then sought to conceal the truth," the statement continued.
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Initially presenting 33 articles for consideration, Prince Harry's case led the judge to determine that 15 stories published by MGN involved unlawful information gathering, including phone hacking and the utilization of private investigators.
An additional 115 articles were included in Prince Harry's claim, which potentially could have led to another trial. However, on Friday, Prince Harry's lawyer informed the High Court that a settlement had been reached between the Duke of Sussex and MGN.
Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex reacts as he leaves the Royal Courts of Justice, Britain's High Court, in central London on March 28, 2023. - Prince Harry and pop superstar Elton John appeared at a London court, delivering a high-profile jolt to a privacy claim launched by celebrities and other figures against a newspaper publisher. The publisher of the Daily Mail, Associated Newspapers (ANL), is trying to end the high court claims brought over alleged unlawful activity at its titles.
In a nearly unprecedented move for a senior British royal, Prince Harry provided testimony in court as part of the case.
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On Friday, Prince Harry directed criticism at Piers Morgan, the former editor of the Mirror, stating, "[he] knew perfectly well what was going on, as the judge held."
"Even his own employer realized it simply could not call him as a witness of truth," the father of two said. "His contempt for the court's ruling and his continued attacks ever since demonstrate why it was so important to obtain a clear and detailed judgment."
"As I said back in December, our mission continues," Harry said. "I believe in the positive change it will bring for all of us. It is the very reason why I started this, and why I will continue to see it through to the end."
