Prince Harry surprised everyone this Tuesday at the High Court in London. However, those present at the hearing of the case against Associated Newspapers (ANL) are still debating whether the surprise was his mere presence on the podium or if, on the contrary, it was his complaints against the royal family.
It is already common for the Duke of Sussex to attack his relatives. In the past, he has done it in graphic interviews, on television and even in his book. On this occasion, he did so during his speech in front of the judge who is assessing whether -indeed- the editor of the Daily Mail violated her privacy and that of other celebrities by hack your cell phone.
In his statement, Harry targeted the Royal Family for having hidden this episode from him and thus getting him to stay away from the witness stand as this could open “a Pandora’s box”.
As he said, he was “aware that he had a lawsuit that he could present” only in 2018, despite the fact that – according to his lawyer, David Sherborne – the alleged irregularities date back as far as 1993.
“Definitely, the institution [así se refiere a los miembros de la Corona] he was hiding information from me for a long time about… phone hacking“, he sentenced and assured that” that became clear in recent years when I started my own claim with different legal advice and representation”.
Harry explained that the Crown’s decision to keep him in the dark on this issue was based on the consequences it might have. “The Institution made it clear that we didn’t need to know anything about phone hacking and they remarked that the Crown was not sitting in the witness box because that could open a Pandora’s box,” he elaborated.
Along with the explosive statements against his family -with whom he has not yet managed to rebuild the bond after his departure from the monarchy and his move to the United States-, the duke stressed the importance of Justice ruling in his favor and to that of multiple celebrities like Elton Johnwho also claim to be victims in the case.
This wiretapping scandal dates back to 2006, when journalists from the News of the World -owned by Rupert Murdoch- they hacked into the voicemails of royalty, celebrities and even murder victims.
Also, they are accused of obtaining private information through deception and “the search and invasion of private property.”
This led to the cessation of its activities and a massive judicial investigation along with criminal charges.
However, years later, the issue resurfaced along with new allegations and evidence and returned to the media scene. “It is not an exaggeration to say that the bubble burst in terms of what was known in 2020 when I moved out of the UK”, he maintained, mentioning that his departure from the country was key to the initiation of the lawsuit.
Despite the fact that many point to this episode as one of the many for which Harry has taken the media to court, he assures that filed the complaint “because I love my country and remain deeply concerned about unchecked power, influence and criminality”even if it means going against the Royal code.
“The British public deserves to know the full extent of this cover-up and I feel it is my duty to bring it to light,” he concluded.
For their part, from ANL they have rejected the accusations, which they consider “absurd slander” and an attempt to “drag the Mail into the wiretapping scandal”.
The tabloid’s lawyers added, meanwhile, that the claims are “not based on credible evidence” and therefore cannot move towards a trial and targeted Harry, whom they called a “serial litigator who seems obsessed” with his publications.
Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace has refused to comment on the case.
