Prince Harry to Feature in New TV Interview on Phone Hacking Scandal

The Duke of Sussex has given a new sit-down interview as he appears in a documentary around phone hacking.

Prince Harry, 39, will discuss his “mission to continue his fight to expose the illegal tactics of Britain’s tabloid press” in ITV’s new programme, Tabloids on Trial, which airs on 25 July.

The Duke, who now resides in the US, will feature alongside Hugh Grant, Charlotte Church, and Paul Gascoigne.

It marks Harry’s first major interview since the conclusion of his court case against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) in February.

The Duke sued the newspaper publisher for damages, claiming journalists at its publications were linked to methods including phone hacking, so-called “blagging” – gaining information by deception – and use of private investigators for unlawful activities.

In December, he was awarded £140,600 in damages after Mr. Justice Fancourt concluded there was “extensive” phone hacking generally by MGN from 2006 to 2011, “even to some extent” during the Leveson Inquiry into media standards.

A trial found 15 articles were the result of unlawful information gathering, and MGN and the Duke also settled the remainder of his claim in February with “a substantial additional sum by way of damages” and Harry’s legal costs.

The Duke’s barrister, David Sherborne, shared a statement from Harry outside court, saying: “We have uncovered and proved the shockingly dishonest way in which the Mirror acted for so many years, and then sought to conceal the truth.

“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.”

ITV said in a press release: “Featuring Prince Harry’s first major interview since the conclusion of his court case with Mirror Group Newspapers, this documentary hears about his mission to continue his fight to expose the illegal tactics of Britain’s tabloid press and explores what those in charge at Fleet Street really knew as this scandal unfolded.”

It added: “ITV News’s Rebecca Barry meets high-profile celebrities including Hugh Grant, Charlotte Church, and Paul Gascoigne as well as people catapulted into the public eye, whose lives were ripped apart by newspapers.”

The Duke is also one of a group of high-profile people, including Sir Elton John and Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon, bringing legal action against the publisher of the Daily Mail over allegations it carried out or commissioned unlawful information-gathering.

They have accused Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) of allegedly carrying out or commissioning unlawful activities such as hiring private investigators to place listening devices inside cars, “blagging” private records, burglaries to order, and accessing and recording private phone conversations.

ANL has firmly denied the allegations. The legal claims are in the preliminary stages.

Meanwhile, Harry’s claim against News Group Newspapers (NGN), the publisher of The Sun and the now-defunct News Of The World over alleged unlawful information-gathering but not allegations of phone hacking, is set for a full trial in January 2025.

NGN has previously denied unlawful activity took place at The Sun.

Tabloids On Trial airs on ITV1 & ITVX at 9pm on Thursday 25 July.

Source: ITV, Alamy