Prince Harry and over a hundred other plaintiffs, including celebrities and public figures, have launched a legal action against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), accusing the publisher of systematically invading their privacy through phone-hacking, deception, and other illicit tactics from 1991 to 2011. MGN, publisher of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, and Sunday People, is currently owned by Reach.
During the second day of the trial at the High Court in London, David Sherborne, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, argued that senior executives at MGN had not only authorized but also actively concealed the widespread illegal activities. He maintained that these violations permeated all levels of the organization. "At all levels, the defendant's organisation was concealing unlawful activity because it was well aware of how damaging it was," Sherborne stated.
Sherborne pointed out that one of the victims of such illicit activities was Prince Michael of Kent, Queen Elizabeth's late cousin. He cited an article published by the Daily Mirror in January 1999, which reported on Prince Michael's alleged financial troubles, including a substantial unauthorized overdraft and a £2.5 million debt to his bank. The counsel argued that this information was obtained unlawfully by private investigators who illegally accessed the prince's bank account details.
After the prince's legal team challenged the story's accuracy and legality, the then editor of the Mirror, Piers Morgan, dismissed their concerns, claiming the information came from an "impeccable source". Sherborne pointed out that the prince's lawyers had highlighted two fraudulent calls made to the prince's bank to verify his account number before the article's publication. MGN eventually settled the claim and issued an apology.
Sherborne asserted that it was "inconceivable the legal department and Mr Morgan were not aware of the source of this story". Morgan, who is now a prominent media figure, has consistently denied any involvement in or knowledge of phone-hacking or any other illegal activity.
As the trial began, MGN apologized to Prince Harry for unlawfully seeking information about him and conceded that he was entitled to compensation. Prince Harry, who is not attending the trial, is slated to testify in person in early June. This will mark a historic moment, as he will be the first British royal to give evidence in person since the 19th century.
Prince Harry's legal battle against MGN is one of four lawsuits he is currently pursuing against tabloids, as he believes it is his duty to reveal the "criminality" of these publications.