Prince Harry Accuses Piers Morgan of “Horrific Attacks” in Court as Phone Hacking Trial Continues

In a dramatic courtroom showdown on Tuesday, Prince Harry slammed former newspaper editor and broadcaster Piers Morgan for launching relentless and “horrific” attacks on himself and his wife, Meghan Markle. The prince is embroiled in a legal battle with tabloid publisher Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) over allegations of historic phone hacking and other illegal activities to obtain private information for publication.

During the proceedings in London, Harry presented over 100 articles from 1996 to 2011, which he claims were obtained through illicit means. As the prince faced a second day of cross-examination on Wednesday, a sample of these articles was scrutinized in court.

Morgan, who had initially met Meghan before her relationship with Harry, has since transformed into a vocal critic of the couple, repeatedly launching scathing attacks on his talk show. In his witness statement, released to the court on Tuesday, Harry accused Morgan of engaging in a campaign of intimidation against him and his wife.

In his statement, Harry wrote, “Unfortunately, as a consequence of me bringing my Mirror Group claim, both myself and my wife have been subjected to a barrage of horrific personal attacks and intimidation from Piers Morgan… Presumably in retaliation and in the hope that I will back down before being able to hold him properly accountable for his unlawful activity towards both me and my mother during his editorship.”

Harry also drew a parallel between Morgan’s alleged actions and the intrusion Princess Diana faced, stating that Morgan and his “band of journalists” had listened to the late royal’s “private and sensitive messages.” He expressed feeling “physically sick” and emphasized his determination to hold those responsible, including Morgan, accountable for their reprehensible behavior.

Morgan has vehemently denied all allegations of phone hacking during his tenure as editor of The Daily Mirror, stating in an interview with the BBC, “I’ve never hacked a phone. I’ve never told anyone to hack a phone.”

In May, during a pre-trial hearing, when Harry’s legal team accused Morgan of phone hacking, he retorted, “I’m not going to take lectures on privacy invasion from Prince Harry.”

Following the recent developments, journalists approached Morgan outside his west London residence on Tuesday evening. When informed about Harry’s accusations and description of him as “vile,” Morgan responded, “I wish him luck with his privacy campaign, and I look forward to reading it in his next book.”

Since relocating to the United States, Harry and Meghan have been outspoken about their experiences with the British media and the royal family, expressing their determination to shield themselves from media mistreatment. In his witness statement for the MGN trial, Harry seized the opportunity to advocate for stricter press regulation in Britain, citing Meghan’s ordeal as a driving force behind his push for change.

Reflecting on the constant harassment, intimidation, and abuse they endured at the hands of the tabloids, Harry said, “Unfortunately, without proper press regulation (which the current government clearly have no appetite for, because their friends in the press said so), it’s only going to get worse.”

The trial between Prince Harry and MGN is ongoing, and he is also pursuing legal action against Associated Newspapers Limited (publishers of the Daily Mail) and News Group Newspapers (publishers of The Sun) over similar allegations of unlawful information gathering.