Piers Morgan warned today that he “will not shut up when it’s all over” after Prince Harry lashed out at the former Daily Mirror editor in his Supreme Court hacking case.
Asked about the Duke of Sussex’s case, Morgan also joked, “I haven’t seen it, but I wish him luck with his privacy campaign – looking forward to reading it in his next book.”
Harry claimed in court documents that Morgan unleashed “a barrage of horrific personal attacks and harassment” against him and his wife Meghan Markle.
The duke added that this was “as a result of me making my Mirror Group claim” and “presumably was in retaliation and in the hope that I would back off, before I could properly hold him accountable for his unlawful activities towards both me and my mother during his editing’.
This morning Morgan – who was editor of the Daily Mirror from 1995 to 2004 and has always denied hacking phones – was asked near his London home if he had any comment on the case so far.
He told ITN: ‘The sensible way forward is for everyone to wait until everything is ready and then have their say. I’ve never been known for my silence and I suspect I won’t be silent when it’s all over.
The Duke of Sussex arrives at the High Court in London today for his second day of evidence
Former Daily Mirror newspaper editor Piers Morgan walks near his London home this morning
“But it would be remiss of me to comment while it’s all going on and I’m sure you understand that. I can’t talk about the case, as much as I have opinions of course, they’ll have to wait until it’s all over.
“I’m convinced I can’t say anything until this is over. I’d love to, as you can probably imagine, but unusually I’m going to keep a dignified silence until it’s all over.”
It comes after Morgan was also asked by Sky News about Harry’s claims as he left his house yesterday afternoon. Then Morgan said, “I haven’t seen it, but I wish him the best of luck with his privacy campaign – I look forward to reading it in his next book.”
Morgan left Good Morning Britain in March 2021 after saying he didn’t believe Meghan Markle’s claims during the explosive interview she and Harry gave to Oprah Winfrey.
The Duke alleged that Morgan had been harassing him and his wife ever since he brought a lawsuit against the publisher of the Mirror newspaper.
Harry said in his statement to the court: ‘Unfortunately, as a result of submitting my Mirror Group claim, both myself and my wife have been subjected to a barrage of horrific personal attacks and harassment from Piers Morgan , the editor of the Daily Mirror. between 1995 and 2004, presumably in retaliation and in the hope that I will withdraw before I can hold him properly accountable for his illegal activities against me and my mother during his editorship.”
The court was also told yesterday that Morgan was referring to rumors of meetings between Harry’s late mother Princess Diana and entertainer Michael Barrymore in his book The Insider.
David Sherborne, Harry’s lawyer, said the reason Morgan heard this was because Mirror journalists allegedly heard ‘private messages’.
He also said that a letter to Barrymore from Diana in June 1997, just two months before her untimely death, “shows the impact of these activities.”
A court artist to Prince Harry (right) is being cross-examined by Andrew Green KC (left) today.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will give an interview to Oprah Winfrey in March 2021
Morgan left Good Morning Britain after saying he didn’t believe Meghan’s claims to Oprah
Mr Sherborne said Diana wrote to Barrymore that she had not heard from him and hoped his silence was ‘good news’, adding: ‘I’ve had a tabloid nightmare.’
The lawyer added: “Mr. Barrymore is so scared he is not contacting Princess Diana and this is the isolation this activity is causing.”
The Duke said in his testimony that he was “shocked, disgusted and appalled” when shown three handwritten letters from Diana to Barrymore.
He said, “Dated March 23, April 25, and June 2, 1997 respectively, they convey my mother’s concerns for Mr. Barrymore’s well-being and kindly offer him a shoulder to cry on.”
The court heard that Diana and Barrymore had private meetings while the entertainer “struggled” due to treatment for alcohol and drug addiction, among other things.
In his written testimony, Harry said it was “safe to assume” that his mother and Mr. Barrymore would have exchanged voicemails about their private meetings.
Harry said: ‘The thought of Piers Morgan and his gang of journalists ear-wriggling into my mother’s private and sensitive messages, in the same way they did mine, then giving her a ‘nightmare time’ three months before her death in Paris has delivered makes me feel physically ill and even more determined to hold those responsible, including Mr. Morgan, accountable for their vile and wholly unwarranted conduct.”
Morgan has previously denied phone hacking, saying he will not follow privacy invasion talks from “someone who has spent the past three years ruthlessly and cynically violating the privacy of the royal family for huge commercial gain.”