Prince Harry emerged victorious on Friday in his phone hacking lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mirror, securing over £140,000 ($180,000) in damages in the first of several legal battles against British tabloids that went to trial. Justice Timothy Fancourt at the High Court ruled that phone hacking was “widespread and habitual” at Mirror Group Newspapers, with private investigators playing a crucial role in unlawfully gathering information. Executives were found to be aware of these practices and engaged in covering them up.
Fancourt awarded damages to the Duke of Sussex for 15 out of the 33 contested newspaper articles, emphasizing the misuse of Harry’s private information due to unlawful information gathering. In a statement read by his lawyer outside the court, Harry expressed, “Today is a great day for truth, as well as accountability.”
The judge granted damages for the distress Harry endured, along with an additional sum for aggravated damages, reflecting the particular hurt over two directors at Trinity Mirror being aware of the illicit activity but not intervening. Fancourt criticized their decision to turn a blind eye, stating that stopping the illegal conduct would have curtailed the misuse of Harry’s private information sooner.
Prince Harry sought £440,000 ($560,000) as part of his campaign against the British media, marking a departure from the royal family’s historical aversion to litigation.
This legal victory follows Harry’s testimony in June, where he accused Mirror Group Newspapers of employing journalists who eavesdropped on voicemails and used private investigators to gather information unlawfully.
While the judge acknowledged the scale of phone hacking, he cautioned against assuming all published content resulted from voicemail interception. The ruling is the first of three lawsuits Harry has filed against tabloids, aligning with his mission to reform the media.
Harry’s grievances with the media, chronicled in his memoir “Spare,” trace back to blaming paparazzi for Princess Diana’s death and citing media intrusion as a factor in his move to the U.S. in 2020 with his wife, Meghan. Mirror Group Newspapers allegedly used unlawful means to produce stories about Harry’s early life, causing emotional distress.
Mirror denied using unlawful methods for 28 of the 33 articles in question. The judge dismissed hacking claims against The Sun but allowed Harry and actor Hugh Grant to proceed to trial against News Group Newspapers. Another case against the Daily Mail was greenlit by a different judge.
The history of phone hacking by British newspapers, dating back over two decades, led to a scandal in 2011 when News of the World intercepted messages, prompting a broader investigation into intrusive methods. Mirror Group Newspapers, while denying wrongdoing, has paid over £100 million ($128 million) in other phone hacking lawsuits.
In this instance, Mirror Group apologized for hiring a private investigator for a 2004 story about Harry, unrelated to the trial, and agreed he should be compensated £500.
