‘Criminals masquerading as journalists’: Harry slams UK media

Harry, who has a long and troubled history with the British press, claims that journalists used intrusive and illegitimate tactics to produce tabloid fodder.

Prince Harry has testified before the High Court in London as part of a lawsuit against British newspaper publisher Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN).

During nearly eight hours of questioning over two days, ending on Wednesday, he repeatedly told the court that articles published in MGN titles were “incredibly suspicious” and showed “significant signs” of illegal activity.

The royal family is one of more than 100 people suing MGN, accusing the group of illegal moves from 1991 and 2011, including hacking phones on an “industrial scale” and obtaining private data through deceit.

Senior editors and executives were aware of and approved of the conduct, plaintiffs’ attorneys say.

Harry says 140 stories that appeared in MGN newspapers were the result of phone hacking or other illegal behavior.

However, only 33 are considered in the process, covering a span of about 15 years of Harry’s life.

MGN disputes the allegations and denies that senior figures knew of any wrongdoing. It also states that some lawsuits were filed too late.

The trial began last month and is expected to take six to seven weeks.

What did Harry and his team say?

No ‘vendetta against the press’

The case is about doing the right thing, and not because of “a vendetta against the press,” his lawyer David Sherborne said.

Alleged phone hacking sowed “seeds of discord” in Harry’s personal life

His lawyers said the break-in led to his breaking up with long-term girlfriend, Chelsy Davy, and that MGN had sown “the seeds of discord” in Harry’s relationship with his older brother Prince William.

Harry said a tracking device was found on Davy’s car and that he believed intimate details about their breakup and quarrels – including him visiting a strip club – had been obtained through phone hacking, saying they had not shared details about their private lives. .

He described a 2007 article headlined “Hooray Harry Dumped” as “hurtful to say the least”, saying it seemed to “celebrate” the end of his relationship. Andrew Green, MGN’s attorney, denied that claim.

‘Criminals’ should not be ‘disguised as journalists’

“This isn’t just about phone hacking, this is about power accountability,” Harry wrote in a statement as part of the MGN case. He said the press was too important to let “criminals posing as journalists running the show” do it.

Media’s list of stereotypes ‘goes on’

“You’re either the ‘playboy prince’, the ‘failure’, the ‘dropout’ or, in my case, the ‘thicko’, the ‘trickster’, the ‘underage drinker’, the ‘irresponsible drinker’ the ‘ irresponsible drug user’, the list goes on,” said Harry, referring to the many ways he has been portrayed in the British press.

‘It is much’

The media attention surrounding the case has been ‘a lot’ for Prince Harry. When asked by his attorney David Sherborne, “You have had to go through these articles and answer questions, knowing that this is a very public courtroom and that the world’s media is watching. How did that make you feel?”

Harry exhaled and seemed emotional before replying, “It’s a lot.”