Prince Harry wiretapped by journalists for 20 years: Monarch heads to court
Prince Harry was illegally wiretapped by journalists (photo: Getty Images)
Prince Harry has won a legal case against British tabloids. The High Court of London ruled that the monarch fell victim to phone hacking and other illegal actions by Mirror Group journalists. The editors of the publication were aware of these activities, the reputable publication Reuters reports.
Details of the high-profile scandal
In 2020, Harry stepped down from royal duties and moved to California with his wife Meghan. At that time, he was determined to expose British journalists who had been eavesdropping on the life of a royal family member.
Among them was television host and former editor of the Daily Mirror, Piers Morgan, who became a vocal critic of Harry and Meghan.
Harry was one of about 100 claimants, including actors, sports stars, celebrities, and individuals who sued over allegations of phone hacking and illegal information gathering between 1991 and 2011.
Judge Timothy Fancourt concluded that journalists had resorted to hacking to obtain information through deception. However, the executive director and legal director of the media group were unaware of this.
The defendants also concealed their unlawful conduct from parliament, a public investigation into press standards in 2011-2012, shareholders, and the High Court during the 2015 court hearing.
Prince Harry received around $180,700 after the judge acknowledged that he had become a target of Mirror Group Newspapers journalists.
This case is only one of four that Harry is pursuing in the High Court. He has the right to file a similar phone hacking case against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.
