Prince Harry’s legal battle against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) continues as his lawyer requests a judge to order MGN to pay nearly £2 million in legal fees.
This comes after Harry was awarded £140,000 in damages in December, when a judge ruled that 15 out of 33 articles examined in the trial resulted from phone hacking or unlawful information gathering.
However, the amount awarded was only a fraction of what he had sought.
Harry has multiple ongoing cases against tabloid publishers, and his pursuit of the tabloid press remains steadfast.
In a historic move, Prince Harry became the first senior member of the royal family in over a century to testify in court in 2023, as he stepped into the witness box to protect his wife, Meghan Markle.
Following the recent ruling against MGN, Harry celebrated himself as a dragonslayer and vowed to continue his fight against the tabloid press.
Notably, Harry recently dropped a libel case against the publisher of the Daily Mail after an unfavorable pre-trial ruling.
During Monday’s hearing, the focus was on the legal fees for a trial involving Harry and three other claimants, including cast members from Coronation Street.
The judge determined that the privacy of all four claimants had been violated, but cases brought by actor Nicky Sanderson and Fiona Whiteman, comedian Paul Whitehouse’s ex-wife, were dismissed due to being filed too late.
Actor Michael Turner was awarded £31,000.
Harry’s barrister, David Sherbourne, argued that his client’s case was overwhelmingly successful and that he should be reimbursed.
Furthermore, he stated that the Duke would be willing to testify again if necessary.
MGN’s lawyer, Roger Malalou, countered by arguing that his client should only be responsible for paying legal fees related to the portions of the claims they lost.
The judge, Timothy Fancourt, indicated that he would rule on this matter at a later date.
Harry alleged that his privacy had been invaded in over 148 articles, and Sherbourne requested a trial to address the remaining 115 articles.
MGN disclosed in court documents that they had made a settlement offer to Prince Harry, the details of which remain undisclosed.
However, amidst these legal proceedings, some royal fans have criticized Harry, accusing him of delusions and jealousy towards his brother, Prince William.
They highlight that William was awarded £1 million in damages, which he donated to Harry’s charity, for being hacked nearly twenty times more than Harry and his wife, Catherine.
Consequently, some argue that Harry’s request for double the amount seems excessive.
One royal fan expressed their disapproval, stating that Harry appears greedy and acts like gutter trash, deserving such treatment.
Another commenter suggested that Harry’s lawyers are aware of his financial situation and are attempting to recover fees from MGN, given their doubts about Harry’s ability to pay.
They speculated that this could be the reason why Harry was asked to drop the case against the Mail on Sunday, as they believe he may not be able to afford the potential loss and that King Charles would not cover the expenses.
Another commentator agreed, claiming that Harry’s lawyers are simply seeking payment for their services and anticipate difficulties in collecting from his financially strained situation.
In conclusion, Prince Harry’s legal battle against Mirror Group Newspapers continues as he seeks reimbursement of almost £2 million in legal fees.