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Prince Harry Reveals Family Rift Stemmed From Their Refusal To Sue British Tabloids
Prince Harry blamed the Royal Family's refusal to sue British tabloids and involvement of a 'secret payment' as the cause for his rift with them.
Prince Harry revealed in a recent interview that one of the reasons for his bad relations with his relatives in the royal family is their decision not to go to court and fight against the tabloid press in Britain. However, he has not elaborated on why he was estranged from his older brother, William, or father, Charles.
Prince Harry's legal battle against British tabloids
According to the Duke of Sussex, one key reason behind the breach between him and his family is their disinclination to participate in legal actions against notorious British tabloid press. Since moving to Southern California with Meghan Markle in June 2020, he has returned periodically to London, filing lawsuits against various high court newspapers.
When Rebecca Barry of ITV asked him if challenging these papers had jeopardized his relationship with his family, Harry said yes. He said, "Anything I say about my family results in a torrent of abuse from the press."
On December 15, Prince Harry was awarded £140,600 ($178,255) by Britain’s High Court after confirming phone hacking by Mirror Group Newspapers between 2006 and 2011. The judge ruled that there was clear evidence of private investigators being central figures within tabloids. In February, it emerged that MGN would pay for Harry’s legal costs relating to defamation claims, together with an interim sum of £400k ($505k).
Princess Diana was one of the first people ever hacked by tabloids, according to Harry. She died famously while being chased by paparazzi in Paris back in 1997. According to him, she is often depicted by the press as having paranoid tendencies, even though her fears about media targeting her were accurate. He said about his late mother, "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."
Prince Harry is featuring in the Tabloids On Trial documentary
Harry’s interview forms part of an upcoming documentary on ITV called Tabloids On Trial, which examines stories related to celebrities and ordinary people who were phone hacked in 2011. Victims allege that reporters and editors at several tabloids, including the Daily Mirror as well as News of the World, would listen via intercepting devices on telephone lines.
Harry hoped his family would join him in taking a stand against the notorious tabloids. He insisted these actions were being taken because he believed in them. He said, "I believe that, from a service standpoint and when you’re in a public role, these are the things that we should be doing for the greater good. I’m doing this for my reasons.”
According to Harry’s lawyers in April 2023, a secret agreement was concluded with Queen Elizabeth where a significant payment to keep “personal and highly private voicemails” unknown to the public could be exposed before court. This apparently stopped Buckingham Palace from suing but still delayed Harry's own case, according to his legal team. The judge eventually allowed his case to go on, pointing out that the timing of the litigation had been disrupted by the family’s arrangement.
Harry noticed that progress has been made for the public through these lawsuits. This ongoing conflict has also contributed to the rift among his relatives; however, he is steadfast in pursuing his mission.
Tabloids on Trial will be shown on ITV1 & ITVX on July 25.
ALSO READ: Prince Harry Struggles With Ongoing Royal Pressures Despite Stepping Down, Experts Claim
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