Prince Harry has reached a financial settlement that concludes legal proceedings against the publisher of the "Daily Mirror," which has already been convicted of unlawfully hacking voicemail messages, as announced by his lawyer David Sherborne on Friday. This agreement addresses 115 claims that had not yet been resolved by the court. According to the lawyer, the publisher “MGN” has agreed to pay a "large sum" to the younger son of King Charles, including all legal costs.
During a hearing in the High Court in London, David Sherborne mentioned initial allocations estimated at £400,000 (approximately $505,000). The High Court in London ruled in favor of Prince Harry and ordered "MGN" to pay £140,600 (approximately $177,000) in damages to him. The judge estimated that 15 out of 33 articles involved in the legal proceedings, published between 1996 and 2009, were the result of voicemail interceptions of the Duke of Sussex or his entourage, in addition to other illegal activities. The judge concluded that Prince Harry's mobile phone messages had been hacked "to a modest extent."
The judge ruled that the media companies belonging to the group extensively hacked into the voicemail boxes of celebrities between 2006 and 2011, which included a period during which a public inquiry into the practices of British press was conducted. During the trial, Prince Harry testified for eight hours over two days in court. This was the first time a member of the royal family has appeared in court since then-future King Edward VII in 1891 during a defamation case.
Prince Harry has launched multiple legal actions targeting the practices of some British media in their coverage of his actions, particularly during his early youth. Harry, 39, who resides in the United States due to a rift with the rest of the British royal family, expresses deep disdain for the tabloid press which he blames for the death of his mother, Princess Diana, who died in a car accident in Paris in 1997 while being pursued by celebrity photo hunters.
It is noteworthy that Harry traveled to London this week to meet with his father, King Charles III, who is suffering from cancer.
