Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has taken legal action against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), one of Britain’s prominent tabloids, alleging “harassment and phone hacking.”
Testifying in a London court on Tuesday, the Duke of Sussex became the highest-ranking member of the royal family to be cross-examined since the 1890s.
Prince Harry’s lawsuit targets Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) for damages, alleging that its journalists engaged in unethical practices to obtain information, including the use of private investigators and phone-hacking tactics.
In his detailed witness statement, the prince revealed that tabloids had hacked into his voicemail and employed “unlawful methods to get stories.”
Recalling the intrusion into his privacy, Prince Harry shared that people had asked him if he had received their voicemails, both personal and work-related. The leaked voicemails not only violated his privacy but also created a distorted image of him and his life for the public.
The 38-year-old royal further claimed that the “unlawfully released information” had a detrimental impact on his relationship with Meghan Markle, his wife.
“I genuinely feel that in every relationship that I’ve ever had – be that with friends, girlfriends, with family or with the army, there’s always been a third party involved, namely the tabloid press,” he expressed.
Prince Harry went on to describe how tabloids pigeonholed members of the royal family, assigning them specific roles and perpetuating negative stereotypes.
“As spare to the heir, you’re then either the playboy prince, the failure, the dropout, the thicko, the cheat, the underage drinker, irresponsible drug taker,” he said.
He confessed that during his teenage years and early twenties, he found himself conforming to these expectations, thinking that if the media was publishing false stories about him, he might as well fulfill their narratives.
Reflecting on this destructive cycle, the prince criticized the tabloids for consistently trying to manipulate him, a vulnerable young man, into making foolish choices that would generate sensational stories and sell newspapers. “Looking back on it now, such behavior on their part is utterly vile,” he remarked.
Prince Harry revealed that he had experienced peculiarities with his voicemail, suspecting he had fallen victim to hacking. “I remember on multiple occasions hearing a voicemail for the first time that wasn’t new,” he explained.
“Sometimes the voicemail envelope symbol would vanish before I had a chance to listen to the voicemail. I now understand their significance in terms of phone hacking. I believe that both mine and my associates’ voicemail messages were hacked by the defendant.”
To substantiate his claims, Prince Harry presented “33 pieces of evidence” in support of his testimony. However, MGN vehemently denied the allegations, asserting that there is no call data or firsthand evidence to validate the prince’s phone hacking allegations.
The court case has gained significant attention, as it marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing struggle between the royal family and the British tabloid press.
Prince Harry’s legal action represents his determination to challenge the unethical practices of the media and seek justice for the infringement of his privacy and the negative portrayal of his life.
The outcome of this legal battle may have far-reaching implications for the relationship between the royal family and the press, as well as the privacy rights of public figures.
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