Prince Harry demands large sum of cash from British tabloid publisher
London, UK - Prince Harry is demanding a large payment from the publisher of the British newspaper the Daily Mirror because of alleged illegally collected information about his private life. Now, the sum he's asking for has been made clear.
According to court documents released on the final day of his trial in London on Friday, the younger son of King Charles III is seeking 440,000 pounds – about $558,000 – in damages.
Harry's lawyers claimed that between 1996 and 2020, the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, and Sunday People outlets of the Mirror Group Newspapers publishing house used illegally obtained material for numerous stories on him.
Harry's team said the publisher's journalists eavesdropped on voicemails and hired private investigators to get info on him, which ruined his relationships with his family and his then-girlfriend Chelsy Davy and fueled rumors about his partying and drug-using ways.
Mirror Group Newspapers, which has paid more than 100 million pounds, or $127 million, in other phone hacking lawsuits over the years, denied any wrongdoing in Harry's case.
What did Prince Harry say when he appeared in court?
In a two-day cross-examination, Harry personally testified in court that the articles had destroyed his friendships and relationships as well as triggered paranoia.
He is the first senior member of the royal family to give evidence in court in more than 130 years.
The 38-year-old also has lawsuits pending against publishes of two more British tabloids, the Daily Mail and The Sun, who have fought to get the cases thrown out.
The Mirror Group has admitted methods such as illegal wiretapping in the past. It denies almost all current allegations from Harry except in the case of one article – which was not included in the prince's suit.
The group's lawyers have apologized and offered up 500 pounds, about $635, in damages to Harry for that piece, headlined "Sex on the beach with Harry," according to the AP.
A verdict is not expected until later this year.
Cover photo: ADRIAN DENNIS / AFP