Prince Harry has recently shared his concerns about the continuous attention from British tabloids, which often involves illegally obtained private information. This has led to significant safety worries for his family, especially his wife, Duchess Meghan.
During an in-depth conversation with ITV News correspondent Rebecca Barry in the documentary “Tabloids on Trial,” Prince Harry discussed his recent legal victory against the publisher of the Daily Mirror. In December, the court awarded him roughly $180,000 in damages for phone hacking.
Harry spoke about his reasons for taking on media giants such as the publishers of the Daily Mail, The Sun, and the Daily Mirror, accusing them of using illegal methods to acquire information for their stories.
“They pushed me too far. It reached a point of no return,” he commented on his decision to pursue legal action. “I don’t think anyone else is better equipped to handle this than myself.
“It’s still dangerous. It only takes one person to act on what they’ve read, whether it’s with a knife, acid, or something else… These concerns are very real for me. It’s one of the reasons why I won’t bring my wife back to this country.”
Prince Harry says ‘it’s clearly not in my interest’ to sue media companies
Prince Harry, the younger son of King Charles and the late Princess Diana, dismissed claims that his lawsuits are acts of revenge.
“Everyone now understands the risk of challenging the press and the retaliation that can follow from pursuing these claims. It’s clearly not in my interest to do this. Look at what has happened over the past four years to me, my wife, and my family,” he stated. “Deciding to move forward with this was incredibly tough – how bad is it going to get?”
Last June, Prince Harry made headlines by testifying in court during his case against Mirror Group Newspapers. He continues to engage in legal battles against Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers, which publishes The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World, as well as Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail. In the previous year, a London High Court judge ruled that Harry’s lawsuit against NGN could proceed to trial.
Both The Sun and the Daily Mail have denied any wrongdoing.
Harry has alleged that employees at Murdoch’s tabloids hacked his phone and hired investigators over a span of two decades.
“If I can get to trial, we’re looking at over a decade’s worth of evidence, most of which has never been made public,” Harry said of the NGN lawsuit. “That’s the objective.”
He added, “This evidence must come to light. After that, the police can decide because this country and the British public deserve better.”
Fight against the tabloids is ‘a central piece’ to ‘rift’ with royal family
Harry acknowledged that his vocal stance against British tabloids has affected his relationship with the royal family, including his brother Prince William, the heir to the throne.
“It’s definitely a key part of it,” he said. “That’s a difficult question to answer because any comment I make about my family results in a wave of abuse from the press.”
He continued, “I’ve been clear that this is necessary. It would be great if we could do it as a family. From a service standpoint, in public roles, these are things we should be doing for the greater good. But I’m doing this for my reasons.”
“For me, the mission continues,” he stated. “Yes, it has contributed to the rift.”
