Prince Harry Triumphs Over Tabloid in Phone Hacking Case
Prince Harry emerged victorious on Friday in his legal battle against the publisher of the Daily Mirror tabloid over phone hacking allegations. The High Court ruled that Harry should receive £140,600 ($240,000) in damages from Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) for a breach of privacy.
Out of the 33 articles scrutinized in the case, the judge determined that 15 were the result of hacking into Prince Harry's voicemails or using other unlawful tactics to obtain private information. Although the extent was deemed "modest," the evidence clearly showed that the royal's phone had fallen prey during a period when such invasive methods were commonplace at MGN publications.
In his testimony, Prince Harry spoke of the “distress” he endured for years in the face of blatantly illegal efforts to probe his personal affairs. Over two days on the stand in June, the younger son of King Charles proved articulate and steadfast in confronting the newspaper group over its unscrupulous reporting methods.
While MGN conceded wrongdoing in the gathering of a mere five articles, it is now evident that phone hacking and covert surveillance were frequently employed by the company’s tabloids to procure gossip-laden content without consent. The broader culture of callousness and illegal activity damagingly impacted not only Prince Harry but also other innocents caught in the crosshairs.
For Prince Harry, the victory carries deeper meaning in his contentious relationship with the British press. The prince has laid blame on tabloid media for the untimely death of his mother, Princess Diana, in 1997. Additionally, he has cited harassing and dishonest coverage toward his wife Meghan as a prime reason for the couple’s rift with the royal family in recent years.
By bravely pursuing judicial punishment of MGN's unprincipled editors, reporters, and publishers, Prince Harry has taken a stand on behalf of victims everywhere who have endured media intrusion into their private lives. Although the monetary award itself carries little consequence for the tabloid giant, the Prince’s willingness to confront such forces of institutional corruption serves as an inspiration and warning to all news organizations flouting ethics and law in pursuit of the next shocking headline. His mother would surely be proud.