These are not easy months for Prince Henry of England. To his clear and apparent estrangement from his family after the release of “En la sombra”, the memories that ultimately shattered the little that united them, we must add the trial of whoever is the protagonist for the allegedly illegal collection of private information is The British tabloids . It seems that after difficult months, during which each of his movements was analyzed with a magnifying glass, good and long-awaited news is arriving for him.
The group that owns British tabloids like The Mirror, the Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), has apologized to Prince Harry at a hearing in London’s High Court. Carlos III’s youngest son claims to have been the victim of illegal data collection by the director of the Daily Mirror between 1995 and 2011. He also defends that both his father and mother, the late Diana de Gales and some of his ex-girlfriends suffered this espionage. The Duke of Sussex says it caused him “great distress” and created uncertainty for both himself and those around him.
More information
MGN representative Andrew Green has told the court that the publisher “apologizes unreservedly” for hiring a private investigator to gather information and publish stories about Enrique. But Green says that according to the editor, 28 of the 33 articles the prince produced in court as evidence claiming they were obtained through illegal activity are not the case. In fact, the defense attorney goes even further, pointing to the royal family as a source of direct information about the current Duke of Sussex. “Many [artículos] They came from information published by or on behalf of royalty or members of the royal family,” he said, without naming names. The director, through his representative, admits that in 2004 his group’s The Sunday People newspaper paid £75 (about €140 at current exchange rates) to a private investigator to gather information about Prince Harry’s behavior at Chinawhite , a exclusive nightclub in London’s Soho district.
David Sherborne, Prince Harry’s lawyer and spokesman, who was absent from those hearings but must be present at the hearing in the coming months, has revealed in court how MGN journalists booked a hotel in Bazaruto, a small island across the street coast of Mozambique, where he resided with his then partner Chelsy Davy. This persecution ended with Davy breaking off her relationship with the prince because life in the palace was “not for her”. This constant stalking by the media not only sparked the breakup, but also distanced his loved ones: “Their circle of friends kept getting smaller. He lost numerous friends entirely, leading to bouts of depression and paranoia,” according to The Times.
During the hearing, Sherbone recalled images of Enrique walking behind his mother’s coffin in 1997: “From that moment on, as a teenager and while serving in the Army as an adult, he was subjected to the most intrusive methods of obtaining personal information .” “. It is currently unknown whether the apology will also include financial compensation; we will probably have to wait in a few months for the end of the process involving the parties.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex arrives at the High Court in London March 27, 2023.Kirsty Wigglesworth (AP)
Enrique isn’t the only well-known face who has sued the MGN group for these illegal activities. Others like musician Elton John and actresses Liz Hurley and Sadie Frost have sued this and other tabloids. After confirming that these illegal wiretaps existed, spokesman Green argued Wednesday that all were entitled to “fair compensation.”
The plaintiffs’ defense alleges that the group’s executives were aware at all times of the existence of these illegal practices of obtaining private messages in order to obtain exclusive news, but that although they were aware of them, they took no action to prevent them to prevent.
The hearing is expected to last another seven weeks. In fact, Prince Harry is set to become the first member of the royal family to appear in court in the coming months.