Watch: Prince Harry’s lawyer makes statement after phone hacking claim against Mirror Group settled
Watch as Prince Harry’s lawyer made a statement outside the High Court after the Duke of Sussex settled the remaining parts of his phone hacking claim against the publisher of the Daily Mirror on Friday, 9 February.
Prince Harry, 39, sued Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) for damages, claiming journalists at its publications were linked to methods including phone hacking, “blagging”(gaining information by deception), and use of private investigators for unlawful activities.
In December, Mr Justice Fancourt concluded that Harry’s phone was hacked “to a modest extent” by MGN, awarding him £140,600 in damages.
It was also ruled that phone hacking was “widespread and habitual” at MGN titles in the late 1990s and was practised “even to some extent” during the Leveson Inquiry into press standards in 2011.
During Friday's hearing, Harry's barrister David Sherborne confirmed a settlement had been reached between the prince and MGN.
“MGN will pay the Duke of Sussex a substantial additional sum by way of damages and all the costs of his claim," he said.
The settlement included an interim payment towards the costs of £400,000, the barrister added.
Prince Harry's case at trial was heard amongst similar claims by Coronation Street star Michael Turner (known professionally as Michael Le Vell), Nikki Sanderson, and Fiona Wightman, the former wife of comedian Paul.
The final figure of costs is yet to be confirmed, but the High Court in London heard the group of people who sued the publisher were seeking payment of approximately £1.9 million from MGN towards the legal costs of bringing allegations to court.
