Prince Harry: judge rules 'extensive' phone hacking carried out by Mirror Group papers

Prince Harry has won nearly half of his claims of phone hacking and unlawful information-gathering against the Daily Mirror publisher in a ruling that could have "profound implications" for British media and the royal family.

The Duke of Sussex sued Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) for damages, claiming journalists at its papers "were linked to methods including phone hacking, so-called 'blagging' or gaining information by deception, and use of private investigators for unlawful activities", said the Daily Mirror. At the High Court, Mr Justice Fancourt ruled in favour of Harry on 15 claims, awarding him £140,600 in damages – "just under a third of the £443,000 he'd asked for", said the newspaper. 

Harry, 39, claimed that 33 articles about him published between 1991 and 2011 involved unlawful information-gathering. MGN denied that 28 of the 33 articles were unlawfully produced. 

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During the trial this summer, Harry became the first member of the royal family to give evidence in court for 130 years, said The Times. He said the articles "left him paranoid" and he ended relationships with those he suspected of leaking information.

The ruling will have "profound implications for the British media", said The Guardian, as the judge ruled that there was "extensive" phone hacking – "even to some extent" during the Leveson Inquiry into media standards held in 2011-12.

There might even be "a rapprochement between Harry and the rest of the royal family", posted Craig Prescott, author of the upcoming book "Modern Monarchy", on Twitter (now X).

"Today is a great day for truth, as well as accountability," Prince Harry said in a statement read by his lawyer. He also urged the Metropolitan Police to "do their duty" and investigate the unlawful information-gathering in his case. He claimed that MGN directors, legal team and Piers Morgan – then the editor of the Daily Mirror – "clearly knew about" the phone hacking. They "even went as far as to lie under oath" at the Leveson Inquiry, he said. 

Responding to the outcome of the trial, Morgan said he "never hacked a phone or told anyone else to hack a phone" and blamed "old foes of mine with an axe to grind" for the claims to the contrary.

MGN said: "Where historical wrongdoing took place… we apologise unreservedly."