Prince Harry accuses Daily Mirror of hacking Diana’s voicemails
The trial involving Prince Harry has commenced with intense revelations and claims about phone hacking, dating back to his childhood years. The prince has accused the Daily Mirror of hacking into his mother, Princess Diana’s voicemail messages, expressing that she was left “devastated” when private conversations she had with entertainer Michael Barrymore were published in the paper under Piers Morgan’s editorship.
The trial also delved into Prince Harry’s school years, around the time of his parents’ divorce when he was 11 years old. At this young age, he was already the subject of stories that his barrister asserts display the “tell-tale” signs of illegal information gathering. Accusations have also been raised about the negative portrayal of Harry’s relationship with his brother, Prince William.
“Seeds of discord” were fuelled and fostered by the coverage in the papers, causing trust to erode and mistrust to “settle in.”
Further details about Prince Harry’s relationship with Chelsy Davy were revealed, highlighting how press coverage made them feel as though they were never alone. This trial aims to paint a picture of Prince Harry’s life, where every aspect was scrutinised and written about in the papers, with even his most private moments and conversations being made public.
Prince Harry maintains that he does not have a vendetta against the press in general, but aims to use his position and profile to champion change and reform the media landscape. The outcome of the trial will determine if he has achieved any success in this endeavour.
Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror’s publisher, Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), denies all the allegations, referring to the Princess Diana voicemail hacking accusation as “total speculation.”
Harry In Court – watch a special programme on Sky News tonight at 9pm.
