Prince Harry has achieved partial legal success: several tabloid newspapers published by the “Mirror” publishing house had illegally eavesdropped on his phone calls for years – the media group now has to pay 140,000 pounds in compensation for this.
In a spying trial against the British media group Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), Prince Harry was awarded damages amounting to more than 140,000 pounds (162,000 euros). The responsible judge at the High Court, Timothy Fancourt, saw it as proven that the 39-year-old son of King Charles III. Became a victim of phone hacking.
Judge: Managers covered practice
Judge Fancourt ruled that phone hacking at the Mirror newspaper group had been “widespread and common” over many years. Private investigators were “an integral part of the system” to unlawfully collect information. Newspaper executives knew about this practice and actively covered it up. Had they intervened, “the misuse of the Duke’s private information would have ended much sooner.”
15 of the 33 newspaper articles at issue in the trial were written using illegal means. However – contrary to what Harry suggested – not everything that was published came from intercepted voice messages, the judge said.
Duke of Sussex testified in person
It was the first of several lawsuits that Harry brought against the publisher. The Duke of Sussex had sued for £440,000 in compensation. The younger son of King Charles III. In June, he became the first senior royal to testify in court in more than a century.
Together with other celebrities, Prince Harry took legal action against the “Mirror” publisher for illegally obtaining information. The plaintiffs particularly accuse the publisher of the tabloids “Mirror”, “Sunday Mirror” and “Sunday People” of tapping into their cell phones. The phone hacking was done on an “industrial scale,” Prince Harry said during the trial.
Prince Harry: “Mission continues”
After the verdict, he said he felt vindicated by the court’s decision. “I was told that you can get burned killing dragons,” the Duke of Sussex said through his lawyers. Given his partial victory in court and the “importance” of the commitment “for a free and honest press,” this is a “worthwhile prize.” “The mission continues,” announced Harry, referring to further lawsuits against British publishers.
Before the trial, MGN had acknowledged “some evidence” of illegal information gathering, including for an article about Prince Harry. However, the company categorically denied having intercepted voice messages. It also argued in court that some of the lawsuits were filed too late.
Gabi Biesinger, ARD London, tagesschau, December 15, 2023 3:54 p.m