Prince Harry seeks US$406,000 in phone hacking lawsuit against British tabloid publisher

Harry’s lawyer said there was ‘hard evidence’ Mirror Group Newspapers employed journalists who used unlawful means to learn about the prince and other celebrities

Mirror Group Newspapers, which has paid more than US$127 million in other phone-hacking lawsuits over the years, denies any wrongdoing in Harry’s case

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Britain’s Prince Harry leaves the High Court in London, UK on June 7. Photo: AP

Published: 6:30am, 1 Jul 2023

Prince Harry’s lawyer put a price tag on Friday on the prince’s lawsuit accusing the publisher of the Daily Mirror newspaper of hacking his phone and using other unlawful means to dig up dirt on the early years of his royal life: £320,000 (US$406,000).

The Duke of Sussex’s lawyer submitted the proposed legal award at the conclusion of courtroom proceedings in the first of Harry’s cases against the British tabloid press to go to trial.

Lawyer David Sherborne said in closing arguments this week that there was “hard evidence” Mirror Group Newspapers employed journalists who eavesdropped on voicemails and hired private investigators to use deception and unlawful means to learn about Harry and other celebrities.

“These methods were the tried and tested tools of the tabloid trade,” Sherborne said.

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan at Windsor Castle in September. Photo: Getty Images / TNS

Mirror Group Newspapers, which has paid more than £100 million (US$127 million) in other phone hacking lawsuits over the years, denies any wrongdoing in Harry’s case. It says it used legitimate reporting methods to get information on the prince.