Key events
The second day of evidence continues where we left off yesterday – with MGN barrister Andrew Green KC taking Prince Harry through a sample of articles the duke has submitted to support his claim.
The article he turns to is a 2005 People article, headlined “Harry Carry”, it claimed the duke was being let off “gruelling” runs at Sandhurst military academy due to an injury.
Green says Clarence House, formerly residence for then Prince Charles, released a full statement providing an update about Harry’s knee injury. The statement also included a quote from Harry himself.
In his witness statement, Harry says he was not freely discussing his health or injuries.
“Is that an entirely accurate statement?” Green asks.
“Yes,” Harry replies, adding that he became mistrustful of the medical staff at Sandhurst.
Jim Waterson
Prince Harry has returned to the witness box, ready to resume giving evidence when court starts at 10.30am. Yesterday afternoon he was reminded by the judge not to discuss his evidence with anyone else – with Harry telling the court he would not even tell his children when he FaceTimed them that night.
Prince Harry has entered the witness box
Prince Harry has entered the witness box and will soon start his second day of evidence.
Jim Waterson
The media circus outside the high court has attracted hangers on – including former East 17 singer Brian Harvey, who says he was a victim of phone hacking by tabloid newspapers.
He loudly heckled as Prince Harry arrived at the Rolls Building in central London this morning.
So, turns out the protester who disrupted our live broadcast… Was Brian Harvey from E17!
No wonder I lost my train of thought! pic.twitter.com/YXJPck0kym— Joe Inwood (@BBCJoeInwood) June 7, 2023
Jim Waterson
My colleague, media editor Jim Waterson, who is present in court today, has written this handy explainer about the key allegations made by the duke. It starts:
Prince Harry has a made an extensive series of allegations about the British media as part of his legal case against the publisher of the Daily Mirror.
These are the most important revelations and insights from the prince’s written evidence to the high court, in which he describes alleged illegal behaviour by tabloids – and the crushing mental impact of press intrusion.
Rishi Sunak’s government at ‘rock bottom’
Our country is judged globally by the state of our press and our government, both of which I believe are at rock bottom.
“Democracy fails when your press fails to scrutinise and hold the government accountable, and instead choose to get into bed with them so they can ensure the status quo.”
‘Horrific personal attacks’ by Piers Morgan
The thought of [the former Daily Mirror editor] Piers Morgan and his band of journalists earwigging into my mother’s private and sensitive messages … makes me feel physically sick and even more determined to hold those responsible, including Mr Morgan, accountable for their vile and entirely unjustified behaviour.
“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.”
Read the full article here:
Prince Harry arrives at High Court in London
Prince Harry has arrived at the High Court in central London, exiting a black Land Rover and heading straight inside with a quick wave to crowds as he goes.
He said good morning but did not answer reporters’ questions before walking into the building and passing security checks to enter the courtroom.
Harry’s box office appearance in the High Court has made the front pages of most of the British newspapers – including those he is suing in separate litigation.
A judge is currently deciding whether to allow this case against Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers to go to trial, with a verdict expected in the coming weeks. Harry alleges that journalists working for the Sun under the editorship hacked his phone and illegally used private investigators to dig up information for stories.
The Sun, then, might have chosen to bury or ignore the coverage of the Mirror Group litigation but instead opted for full guns blazing against the duke on its front page.
The headline “Me, Hewitt and that two faced shit Burrell” alludes to some of Harry’s evidence both spoken and in the written statement submitted to court. But the lede focuses on the criticism levelled at Harry by MGN’s barrister, Andrew Green KC.
Likewise, a judge is currently deciding whether to allow a case against the owner of the Daily Mail, Associated Newspapers, to go to trial, with a verdict expected in the coming weeks. Harry – and a group of other claimants including Doreen Lawrence and Elton John – allege that journalists working for the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday used private investigators to carry out illegal information gathering in the search for stories.
Again, the Daily Mail has chosen not to ignore Harry’s litigation against the MGN and has instead splashed on this comment piece by Jan Moir, with the scathing headline “He must have longed for the schmaltzy embrace of Oprah!”.
The Telegraph, which is not subject to any litigation from Harry, does not splash on the coverage but the story does feature on its front page alongside a large picture of the Duke.
Another News Group Newspapers publication, The Times, splashes on comments made by Prince Harry in his written statement, in which he breaks with royal protocal and openly criticises the UK Government, suggesting their reputation globally is at “rock bottom”.
And here at the Guardian we have a front page story focusing on the duke’s criticism of the tabloids and how their relentless pursuit of stories have damaged his life.
Prince Harry returns to court to give evidence in phone-hacking trial
Welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of phone hacking claims against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) at the High Court in London.
Today, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, will return to the witness box in the High Court to conclude his evidence in support of his claim against MGN.
While there was no smoking gun moment in Harry’s evidence yesterday, it was nonetheless a rare spectacle to see a senior royal cross-examined in court – for the first time since the 19th century.
The duke laid out the anguish he has suffered at the hands of a voracious tabloid press, questioned the methods of Mirror group journalists and hinted at the impact the relentless coverage has had on his family.
He is suing the publisher, claiming journalists at its titles – which also include the Sunday Mirror and Sunday People – were linked to methods including phone hacking, so-called “blagging” or gaining information by deception, and use of private investigators for unlawful activities.
MGN’s barrister, Andrew Green KC, reportedly referred to as a “beast” in court, took Harry meticulously one by one through the articles the duke has submitted to support his claim, challenging Harry’s assertion that the stories were based on or informed by illegal methods of information gathering, such as phone hacking.
Today, Green will continue to progress through the articles before Harry’s own barrister, David Sherborne, re-examines his client.
