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re: Florida Judge Dismisses Defamation Lawsuit by Meghans' Nasty Sister
Prince Harry Wins Phone Hacking Case -Awarded £140,600 in Damages Asks Metropolitan Police to Investigate as a Criminal Inquiry & Bring Charges
Harry Wanted Respect. Now, With This Court Victory, He’s Earned It
After all the reputational damage the prince has suffered, this was a courageous stand
The Guardian 20 DEC 2023
Prince Harry and Meghan on a visit to Australia.
Whatever else might be said about Prince Harry, he got to pull the sword from the stone. He got his day in court, his longed-for legal vindication, winning phone hacking rulings against the Mirror group.
The hacked-off royal even got to witness arch-enemy Piers Morgans’ head roll into the executioners’ basket (though, characteristically, the former Daily Mirror editor failed to go quietly, accusing Harry and wife Meghan of scheming to bring down the monarchy).
For Harry, there must also be the sense of ethical, almost biblical, restoration, not least of his reputation. You felt it thrumming behind the statement read out by his lawyer outside court, hailing the ruling as a “great day for truth”. He’s been awarded £140,600 in damages. Scotland Yard hasn’t ruled out a criminal inquiry. So, what now for Harry, self-styled “dragon slayer” and would-be reformer of the British media?
Few could deny that Harry has been the most tarnished British prince of the modern era, which is saying something (two words: “Prince” and “Andrew”). First the upbringing in the regal Truman Show of pomp and privilege, and the loss of his mother, Diana (12-year-old Harry walking behind her coffin with his brother, William, in what now registers as globally televised child abuse).
Prince Harry was a victim of phone hacking carried out by publishers of the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror newspapers, a High Court judge has ruled.
Fifteen of 33 articles brought by Harry in his legal claim against the newspapers were the product of phone hacking or unlawful information gathering. He has been awarded £140,600 in damages.
Phone hacking by Mirror Group Newspapers was carried out from 1996 to 2011, and was "widespread and habitual" from 1998, a High Court judge has ruled.
The court considered 33 articles about Prince Harry, who was behind the civil case, and ruled 15 of them were written using information that was unlawfully obtained.
In a statement, Prince Harry said the ruling was "vindicating and affirming" - and took aim at senior executives and editors, including Piers Morgan
Prince Harry has urged the Metropolitan Police to investigate bringing charges against individuals at Mirror Group Newspapers as he accused senior editors - including Piers Morgan - of being involved in, or aware of, illegal activities.
The Duke of Sussex accused MGN board directors, legal department and senior editors, making specific reference to Mr Morgan, of lying under oath to Parliament during the Leveson Inquiry and of deceiving the National Stock Exchange.
In a statement read outside the High Court in London by his barrister, David Sherborne, Harry described the ruling as “vindicating and affirming” as he urged further investigations into any allegations of illegal activity.
Prince Harry takes aim at Piers Morgan as judge rules his phone was hacked by The Mirror
Prince Harrys' lawyer reads out statement after judge rules he was victim of phone hacking by Mirror
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