Piers Morgan hits back at Prince Harry’s phone hacking trial accusations
Piers Morgan has responded to Prince Harry’s accusations of phone hacking during the Duke of Sussex’s ongoing legal trial against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN). The former editor of the Daily Mirror was criticised by the royal for allegedly intercepting his mother’s private messages. In a statement to Sky News, Morgan said he hadn’t seen Harry’s comments but wished him luck with his privacy campaign and looked forward to reading about it in his next book.
In his 55-page witness statement, Prince Harry claimed that 33 articles published by MGN involved unlawful information gathering, including phone hacking. He expressed his disgust at the thought of Morgan and his journalists listening in on his mother’s private conversations and vowed to hold those responsible accountable for their actions.
Allegations of Princess Diana’s phone being hacked by the newspaper under Morgan’s supervision between 1995 and 2004 were presented in the High Court. Details of letters she wrote to comedian Michael Barrymore revealing secret meetings and support for his struggle with coming out as gay were read aloud by Prince Harry’s lawyer, David Sherborne. Morgan’s book, The Insider, mentioned rumours of Diana secretly comforting Barrymore during his treatment for alcohol addiction.
Morgan has consistently denied any involvement in or knowledge of phone hacking or other illegal activities. However, he has publicly criticised both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on numerous occasions. In his witness statement, the Duke of Sussex accused Morgan of launching a “barrage of horrific personal attacks and intimidation” against him and his wife in retaliation for their legal claim against MGN.
Morgan’s spokesperson declined to comment on the allegations made by Prince Harry. The trial is set to conclude by the end of June, with a written ruling expected from Mr Justice Fancourt later in the year.
