reflected on his phone hacking lawsuit against the Mirror Group Newspapers in the ITV documentary Tabloids on Trial — revealing how it’s affected his wife ‘s ability to travel to the U.K.
“It’s still dangerous, and all it takes is one lone actor, one person who reads this stuff to act on what they have read,” Harry, 39, said in the documentary, which premiered on Thursday, July 25. “And whether it’s a knife or acid, whatever it is, and these are things that are of genuine concern for me. It’s one of the reasons why I won’t bring my wife back to this country.”
Meghan, 42, previously spoke out about allegedly being harassed by the British press and treated differently because of her race when she first courted Harry. She later alleged that the negative press became even more scary when she was pregnant with son Archie. (Harry and Meghan share Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3.)
“I realized that it was all happening just because I was breathing,” Meghan confessed during her and Harry’s 2021 CBS tell-all, revealing she experienced suicidal thoughts during that time. “I was really ashamed to say it at the time and ashamed to have to admit it to Harry, especially, because I know how much loss he’s suffered.”
Harry noted on Thursday that the high-profile lawsuit hasn’t brought any more attention to his family than normal. “There is more than enough attention on me and my wife anyway,” he said with a laugh.
“They pushed me too far,” he said of the media’s past attacks on his loved ones. “It got to a point where you’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t. But I don’t think there’s anybody in the world better suited and placed to be able to see this through than myself.”
Earlier this month, ITV teased the documentary in a press release that read, “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.”
Harry was among a group of individuals who sued Mirror Group Newspapers, the publisher of U.K. outlets such as The Mirror, claiming that the company illegally hacked his phone to gather information between 1996 and 2011. (The organization denied the allegations.)
The trial began in June 2023, and Harry won the case that December. A judge found “sufficient proof” that Mirror Group Newspapers “engaged in unlawful information gathering, including phone hacking,” according to court documents obtained by Us Weekly. Harry was awarded £140,600 (or $180,000) in damages.
Harry previously reacted to the ruling in a statement at the time.
“This case is not just about hacking. It is about a systemic practice of unlawful and appalling behavior, followed by clever-ups and destruction of evidence, the shocking scale of which can only be revealed through these proceedings,” he said. “The journey to justice can be a slow and painful one, and since bringing my claim almost five years ago defamatory stories and intimidating tactics have been deployed against me and at my family’s expense.”
He continued: “My commitment to seeing this case through is based on my belief in our need — and collective right — to a free and honest press. And one which is properly accountable when necessary. That is what we need in Britain and across the globe. Anything else is poisoning the well for a profession we all depend on.”
Harry concluded his statement by insisting that the court battle was worth his time and efforts. “I’ve been told that slaying dragons will get you burned, but in light of today’s victory and the importance of doing what is needed for a free and honest press, it is a worthwhile price to pay,” he said. “The mission continues.”
In the new documentary, Harry noted that getting justice was the most important thing for him and Meghan even if his royal relatives didn’t agree.
“I’ve made it very clear that this is something that needs to be done. It would be nice if we did it as a family,” he said during the Thursday sitdown, claiming that his family’s lack of public support on the issue is a “central piece” to their rift. “I believe that, again, from a service standpoint and when you’re in a public role, that these are the things that we should be doing for the greater good. But I’m doing this for my reasons.”
Although and haven’t publicly spoken out in Harry’s defense on the matter, Harry said his late grandmother had his back. “We had many conversations before she passed, this is very much something she supported, she knew how much this meant to me,” he shared. “She is up there going, ‘See this through to the end,’ without question.”
