Prince Harry is opening up about how his fight for justice ultimately caused his ongoing family feud!
During Thursday’s ITV documentary Tabloids On Trial with reporter Rebecca Barry, the Duke of Sussex opened up about his phone hacking trial against Mirror Group Newspapers, which he filed in 2019 and won last December. It marked the first time a royal had given testimony in court in over 100 years — so, it was a big freaking deal!
Plus, throughout the legal matter, it was revealed that Prince William had settled a similar case with a different organization years prior for a “very large sum” of money. It just proved how differently Harry and the rest of his family handled these matters. And now? Harry is pointing to this legal fight as being a big part of his dysfunctional family dynamic!
Related: Did Venus Williams SNUB Prince Harry At The ESPYs?!
During the interview, the 39-year-old was asked “to what extent” he thought his “determination to fight the tabloids destroyed” his bond with his family. He shared candidly:
“Yeah, that’s certainly a central piece to it. But, you know, that’s a hard question to answer because anything I say about my family results in a torrent of abuse from the press.”
We mean, if he knows that much… then surely he must realize his memoir Spare was a rather more central part of the feud, right? Ah, but not on his end!
Meghan Markle‘s husband explained:
“I’ve made it very clear that this is something that needs to be done. It would be nice if we, you know, did it as a family. I believe that, again, from a service standpoint and when you are in a public role, that these are the things that we should be doing for the greater good. But, you know, I’m doing this for my reasons.”
Jeez! He really called them out! Sounds like he means their lack of support in his fight against the invasions of privacy was the reason he was upset with them. So the whole book thing, speaking out with Oprah, that was his response to their silence? Hmm…
When pressed about their decision “not to fight” in the way he has, he replied:
“I think everything that’s played out has shown people what the truth of the matter is. For me, the mission continues, but it has, it has, yes. It’s caused, yeah, as you say, part of a rift.”
EXCL: Prince Harry tells me his legal fight with tabloids was a “central piece” in the breakdown of his relationship with his family.
In our ITV1 documentary ,Tabloids on Trial, Harry says in a “public role these are the things that we should be doing for the greater good”. pic.twitter.com/M065MbRShk
— Rebecca Barry (@BeccaBarry) July 24, 2024
Wow.
How sad that just wanting to fight for his privacy (alongside standing up for his wife amid other issues) caused this bitter family war. While this was certainly an unfortunate effect of the case, Harry doesn’t regret his decision to take the matter to court — especially given the big win!
As Perezcious readers know, a judge ruled that phone hacking was carried out by the newspaper org from around 1996 to 2011, noting that hacking was “widespread and habitual” at the company and execs covered it up. Harry was one of several people going against the publisher. Discussing the outcome of the trial, Harry added:
“To go in there and come out and have the judge rule in our favour was obviously huge. But for him to go as far as he did with regard to, you know, this wasn’t just the individual people. This went right up to the top… this was lawyers, this was high executives. And to be able to achieve that in a trial that’s a monumental victory.”
Especially considering all it cost him with his family, thank goodness he won!
EXCL: “Paranoia, fear, distrust”: Prince Harry on the impact of hacking.
In our ITV1 documentary, Tabloids on Trial, he speaks for the first time about his High Court win against Mirror Group Newspapers.
Telling me the ruling was a “monumental victory”. pic.twitter.com/iooNCcLGQi
— Rebecca Barry (@BeccaBarry) July 24, 2024
The father of two also opened up about why this case was so personal — and it stretched beyond just his own invasion of privacy. When asked if it made him paranoid, he explained:
“I think paranoia is a very interesting word because yes, then it could be paranoia, but then when you’re vindicated it proves that you weren’t being paranoid. You know, same with my mother.”
Discussing Princess Diana‘s history with hacking, he shared:
“You know, there is evidence to suggest that she was being hacked in the mid-nineties, probably one of the first people to be hacked and yet still today, the press, the tabloid press very much enjoy painting her as being paranoid. But she wasn’t paranoid, she was absolutely right of what was happening to her. And she’s not around today to find out the truth.”
No wonder he was determined to seek justice! He was doing it for his momma — and he’s still very emotional over what she allegedly went through. Just see him talking about her (below):
EXCL: “When you’re vindicated, it proves you weren’t being paranoid”
Prince Harry tells me he experienced the same paranoia as his mother Princess Diana.
Our exclusive interview features in Tabloids on Trial on ITV1 at 9pm on Thursday pic.twitter.com/hqkk9Or21h
— Rebecca Barry (@BeccaBarry) July 24, 2024
This really just goes to show how much the royal family hates anyone going against tradition — even if it’s their own prince! He stood up for what he believed was right, and it cost him (almost) everything. Damn.
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