By Sheila Mckenzie-
Prince Harry has attacked television presenter Piers Morgan, following an interim payment of £400k from the Daily Mirror over phone hacking allegations brought by the the duke of sussex.
After settling the remaining parts of his phone-hacking claim against the publisher of the Daily Mirror, he insisted that the former editor knew “perfectly well what was going on”.
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The duke of sussex and his wife Meghan Markle, has been in a constant acrimonious war with Piers Morgan ever since they gave an interview to Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, complaining about life in the royal family.
Morgan eventually lost his job with Good Morning Britain after stating on air that he did not believe a word that comes out of the mouth of Meghan Markle.
Harry said the Mirror’s publisher had realised “it simply could not call him [Morgan] as a witness of truth at the trial”, adding:
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“His contempt for the court’s ruling and his continued attacks ever since demonstrate why it was so important to obtain a clear and detailed judgment.
Morgan subsequently responded on X, writing: “I totally agree with Prince Harry that ruthless intrusion into the private lives of the royal family for financial gain is utterly reprehensible … and I hope he stops doing it.”
During a hearing in London on Friday, Sherborne said MGN would pay Harry “a substantial additional sum by way of damages” as well as his legal costs. He said the publisher would make an interim payment of £400,000.
An MGN spokesperson said: “We are pleased to have reached this agreement, which gives our business further clarity to move forward from events that took place many years ago and for which we have apologised.
Harry became the first senior royal in more than 130 years to be cross-examined in a courtroom – the landmark ruling found there was “widespread and habitual” phone hacking by MGN from 2006 to 2011, “even to some extent” during the Leveson inquiry into media standards.
On Friday, Harry called for action against Piers Morgan, pointing to the fact that Mr Justice Fancourt had ruled that Morgan, the Mirror’s editor between 1995 and 2004, and other senior executives knew about phone hacking.
In a statement after the judgment in December, Harry called upon the authorities – including the financial regulator, the Metropolitan police and the Crown Prosecution Service – to “investigate bringing charges against the company and those who have broken the law”.
However, no such charges has been brought.
Responding furiously at the time, Morgan denied he had been aware of phone hacking during his time as editor. In a statement read outside his home, he said Harry “wouldn’t know truth if it slapped him in his California-tanned face”, and he claimed Harry and his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, were trying to “destroy the British monarchy”.
Harry’s barrister David Sherborne read out a statement on his behalf on Friday, saying: “In light of this, we call again for the authorities to uphold the rule of law and to prove that no one is above it. That includes Mr Morgan, who as editor knew perfectly well what was going on, as the judge held.”
Harry said the Mirror’s publisher had realised “it simply could not call him [Morgan] as a witness of truth at the trial”, adding: “His contempt for the court’s ruling and his continued attacks ever since demonstrate why it was so important to obtain a clear and detailed judgment.”
Harry – who is also locked in legal battles with the publisher of the Sun, the publisher of the Daily Mail and the Home Office – said: “As I said back in December, our mission continues. I believe in the positive change it will bring for all of us. It is the very reason why I started this, and why I will continue to see it through to the end.”
Morgan responded later on X, writing: “I totally agree with Prince Harry that ruthless intrusion into the private lives of the royal family for financial gain is utterly reprehensible … and I hope he stops doing it.”
During a hearing in London on Friday, Sherborne said MGN would pay Harry “a substantial additional sum by way of damages” as well as his legal costs. He said the publisher would make an interim payment of £400,000.
An MGN spokesperson said: “We are pleased to have reached this agreement, which gives our business further clarity to move forward from events that took place many years ago and for which we have apologised.”
The publisher could now face a legal bill of millions after being ordered to pay legal costs related to more than 100 people, including Harry.
Harry and three others brought “representative” claims against the publisher but the trial last year also heard “generic” evidence about wider alleged wrongdoing at MGN.
The judge in today’s ruling said the publisher should pay “generic” legal costs to the more than 100 people involved in the legal action.
The judge said: “On the generic issues, there can be little doubt that the claimants were successful […] In this unusual case, justice is only done by awarding the claimants their costs of the generic issues.”
Two of the cases heard alongside Harry’s – actor Nikki Sanderson, an actor, and Fiona Wightman, the ex-wife of the comedian Paul Whitehouse – were dismissed because their submissions had been made too late, despite the judge finding that some of their complaints were proved. Michael Le Vell, who plays Kevin Webster in Coronation Street, was awarded £31,650 in damages.
The judge said Sanderson and Wightman should pay MGN the legal costs of defending their individual claims.
The final cost to MGN is yet to be finalised, but the high court previously heard that the group were seeking payment of £1,976,660 in legal costs.
Harry still has three cases at the high court including a separate claim made alongside Elton John and Doreen Lawrence – of unlawful information-gathering against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday, with the next hearing expected in March this year.
A case alongside the actor Hugh Grant alleging unlawful information-gathering against News Group Newspapers, the publisher of the Sun and the now defunct News of the World is expected to go to trial in January 2025.
Harry recently flew in and out of the UK within 24 hours, where he came to visit his father who was recently diagnosed with cancer.
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