Prince Harry Accuses Royal Family Of ‘Withholding’ Phone Hacking Info From Him: Read His Witness Statement
The Duke of Sussex spoke about how the difficult relationship with the media affected him while testifying in his lawsuit against Associated Newspapers Limited.
Prince Harry offered a witness statement in a preliminary hearing for his lawsuit against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) on Tuesday, March 28. The Duke of Sussex, 38, mentioned that he became aware of a similar alleged phone hacking claim he could bring against News Group Newspapers (NGN) in 2018, and he accused members of the Royal family of not telling him about alleged phone hacks.
Harry opened up about how he adopted the Royal family’s philosophy of “never complain, never explain,” but he alleged that he learned that information had been withheld with him as he pursued the 2018 claim. “The Institution was without a doubt withholding information from me for a long time about NGN’s phone hacking and that has only become clear in recent years as I have pursued my own claim with different legal advice and representation,” he said, per People.
He continued and said that there was never a “centralized discussion” about people bringing claims against NGN, and he denied the “misconception that we are all in constant communication,” explaining that he was unsure if others had come forward. “To this day, there are members of the Royal Family and friends of mine who may have been targeted by NGN and I have no idea whether they have or have not brought claims,” Harry said.
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The Duke of Sussex pivoted to speak about his accusations against ANL, claiming that they have unlawfully obtained information, via phone hacking and other illegal means. “I am bringing this claim because I love my country and I remain deeply concerned by the unchecked power, influence and criminality of Associated,” he told the court. “The evidence I have seen shows that Associated’s journalists are criminals with journalistic powers which should concern every single one of us. The British public deserve to know the full extent of this cover up and I feel it is my duty to expose it.”
Earlier in his statement, Harry said that he’s had “an uneasy relationship with the press” since the death of his mother Princess Diana in 1997, and it’s only become more strenuous as his relationship with Meghan Markle became public. He also said it “got worse” when his son Prince Archie was born. He said he was “increasingly troubled by the approach of not taking action against the press in the wake of vicious persistent attacks on, harassment of and intrusive, sometimes racist articles concerning Meghan.”
Prince Harry arrived at London’s High Court for the preliminary hearing on Monday. He’s one of a handful of celebrities in the lawsuit against ANL, including Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, Doreen Lawrence, and David Furnish. ANL, which owns multiple news outlets including DailyMail, has denied the allegations, saying that they are “unsubstantiated and highly defamatory claims, based on no credible evidence,” via CNN.