LONDON.- He Prince Harry He said his crusade against British tabloids had contributed to the breakdown of the Royal family, sign a documentary film aired on Thursday.
In his most extensive comments since winning a major victory last year when a judge ruled that phone hacking was “widespread and customary” at the U.K.’s Mirror Group newspapers, the Duke of Sussex told broadcaster ITV he wished his family had joined him in his invasion of privacy lawsuit.
Harry said his public battle with the tabloids, which saw him become the first royal in more than a century to testify in court, was a “centrepiece” of the fallout within his family.
“The mission continues, but it has caused, yes, as you say, part of a rift,” Harry said in a low voice. Tabloids On Trial.
Henry, 39, the youngest son of King Charles III, broke with the family’s ‘never complain, never explain’ attitude by taking the press to court.
His father opposed his litigation, Harry said in legal documents. He also revealed that his elder brother William, the Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, had secretly settled a lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers for a “massive” sum.
Other conflicts
Lawsuits, however, are not the only source of family friction.
Harry literally distanced himself from his family when he and his wife, Meghan, opted to step down from their duties as working members of the royal family to move to the United States in 2020. They argued against intrusions and a racist attitude from the media toward Meghan, who is biracial. The couple later suggested there was racial bias within the royal family, an accusation that likely further alienated Harry before his memoir, Spare (Spare: In the shadow), would dispel all doubts that there was a division.
The duke said it was difficult to answer a question about their strained ties: “Because anything I say about my family results in a torrent of abuse from the press.”
Figures against the tabloids
The program also features the actor Hugh Grantformer Prime Minister Gordon Brown and English footballer Paul Gascoigne.
Grant, who is involved with the group Hacked Off To expose the impact of the phone-hacking scandal that brought down Murdoch’s News of the World in 2011, he recently settled his lawsuit against News Group for what he called “a huge sum of money”.
Grant said he reluctantly agreed to the deal because a court policy that discourages lengthy trials could leave him with a legal bill of 10 million pounds ($12.9 million) if he is awarded anything less than the settlement offer.
Grant accused The Sun tabloid of illegally tapping his phone and car and breaking into his home to spy on him, among other intrusions.
“I have no major complaints against the foot soldiers, or these guys who did these things, not against them,” Grant said in the documentary. “But I remain bitter and determined to bring justice against the executives who ordered these things.”
Harry’s fight is continuing. His lawsuit against News Group is ongoing and he has a similar case pending against the publisher of the Daily Mail, which denies his claims.
News Group issued an unreserved apology in 2011 to victims of voicemail hacking by News of the World, which closed after a phone-hacking scandal. NGN said it had settled 1,300 complaints about its newspapers, although The Sun has never accepted responsibility.
Enrique said he wished his family had taken a stand against media insults for the greater good.
“But, you know, I’m doing this for my reasons,” he said. “I think everything that’s developed has shown people what the truth of the matter is.”
FUENTE: AP
