Prince Harry Could Potentially Receive Millions in Phone Hacking Lawsuit, Legal Expert Claims

According to legal expert Neama Rahmani, Prince Harry has a strong chance of winning his trial against the Mirror Group Newspapers for alleged phone hacking. Rahmani believes that the conduct of the media company is outrageous and expects that the judge will award significant damages to the prince.

The Duke of Sussex has filed a lawsuit against the Mirror Group, the publisher of several U.K. tabloids, including the Daily Mirror. He claims that the company unlawfully obtained information about him by accessing his voicemail messages from 1996 to 2011. On June 6, the Duke released a 55-page written witness statement, which he presented in court for the first time. According to attorney Rahmani, the statement was instrumental in strengthening the Duke's case as it showcased the extent of the impact the hacking had on him and how personal the information was. Rahmani predicts that the Duke will receive a significant award as hacking someone's phone is a clear violation of the law and crosses the line in terms of reporting.

Harry missed the opening statements of the trial on Monday, June 6, but appeared in court on Tuesday. His lawyer explained that he was traveling to London after celebrating his daughter Lilibet's 2nd birthday with his wife Meghan Markle at their California home. The couple also has a son named Archie, who is 4 years old.

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When questioned on his first day of testimony, the BetterUp CIO faced opposition from Andrew Green, the lawyer representing Mirror Group Newspapers. The CIO's uncertainty regarding whose phone was hacked in 2000 in relation to a story about his thumb injury was met with skepticism from Green, who claimed that such speculation was unwarranted. In response, the CIO clarified that he was not responsible for writing the article in question.

During the trial, Green accused Prince Harry of speculating multiple times, including when Harry suggested that his school landline may have been hacked while he was speaking with Princess Diana. Despite the tense exchanges, Harry has maintained a positive and upbeat attitude, even jokingly asking whether his instructions not to discuss trial evidence with anyone applied to his children.

During the trial, Harry was required to recount some difficult memories, including his relationship with Caroline Flack who passed away by suicide in 2020. In his written witness statement, Harry mentioned that he started to doubt Flack and his friend Mark Dyer after the press found out about a poker night he had with friends in 2009. He stated that only a few people were invited, and only Marko, Caroline, and he knew about the plans. Harry became increasingly suspicious that someone had leaked information to the press.

"I am now convinced that the source of this information was from our voicemails, whether it was mine, Marko’s or Caroline’s. The repercussions of these stories on my personal relationships were immense. It made me question even those I held in high regard." Harry and the former Love Island presenter were rumored to be romantically linked in 2009, but due to the unwarranted media attention, their relationship never progressed into anything serious, as stated in Spare.

"We tried to make it work, but the constant harassment and intrusion from the press made it impossible for us to have a healthy relationship," wrote Harry in his memoir, reflecting on his tumultuous romance with Flack. "Despite our love for each other, we knew it was time to say goodbye and move on from the toxicity. It was a difficult decision, but ultimately the right one for both of us." The media's interference in Harry's personal life also affected his relationship with Chelsy Davy, who ultimately realized that the royal lifestyle was not for her.