Prince Harry has expressed his criticism towards the Rishi Sunak administration, stating that the government is currently at ‘rock bottom.’ He further mentioned that the government evades scrutiny by developing close relationships or ‘getting in bed’ with sympathetic newspapers.
In a departure from royal protocol, Prince Harry used his involvement in the phone-hacking trial as an opportunity to critique the current government. He raised concerns about the state of democracy in the UK, asserting that the collaboration between British media outlets and the government is a threat to it, as it serves to maintain the existing “status quo.”
During his testimony in the phone-hacking court case against Mirror Group Newspapers, Prince Harry suggested that British newspapers work closely with ministers in order to protect their own interests. He emphasized that the failure of democracy occurs when the press neglects its duty to scrutinize and hold the government accountable, opting instead to align themselves with the government to preserve the prevailing circumstances.
Considering the unfolding events, it is important to examine every facet of the situation. Let’s take a look:
What is the Case Prince Harry Testified for?
At 38 years old, Prince Harry has filed a lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mirror. The legal action pertains to 33 articles published from 1996 to 2011, which Prince Harry claims were derived from phone hacking or other illicit surveillance methods.
These articles merely constitute a small portion of the extensive media coverage spanning several decades that Prince Harry asserts has negatively impacted his life, as well as the lives of his friends and family.
In his witness statement, Harry claimed that during his adolescence and young adulthood, tabloids cast him in a role — “the ‘thicko,’ the ‘cheat,’ the ‘underage drinker,’ the ‘irresponsible drug taker.’”
“I ended up feeling as though I was playing up to a lot of the headlines and stereotypes that they wanted to pin on me mainly because I thought that, if they are printing this rubbish about me and people were believing it, I may as well ‘do the crime,’ so to speak,” Harry said. “It was a downward spiral, whereby the tabloids would constantly try and coax me, a ‘damaged’ young man, into doing something stupid that would make a good story and sell lots of newspapers.”
Harry alleged that journalists’ behavior was ruinous to his mental health, spurring “bouts of depression and paranoia.”
“I now realize that my acute paranoia of being constantly under surveillance was not misplaced after all,” he said.
His statement rings back to what Princess Diana’s negative experience with the press and paparazzi. Harry has long blamed the press for the death of his mother Princess Diana, killed in a car crash in 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi.
He told the court he was distraught to discover Diana’s private conversations might have been hacked by the Mirror Group. He said he felt “sick” to learn of payments by the newspaper to private investigators for information related to Diana, the Associated Press reported.
He lashed out at TV host Piers Morgan, who was editor of the Daily Mirror from 1995 to 2004.
“The thought of Piers Morgan and his band of journalists earwigging into my mother’s private and sensitive messages … three months prior to her death in Paris, makes me feel physically sick,” Harry wrote. He called it “vile and entirely unjustified behavior.”
Why Did Harry Criticise the Govt?
In his written testimony, Prince Harry openly criticized the current Conservative government, specifically highlighting what he perceived as an excessively cozy relationship with the media.
“On a national level as, at the moment, our country is judged globally by the state of our press and our government – both of which I believe are at rock bottom,” Harry wrote.
Furthermore, Prince Harry stated that Rishi Sunak’s government “clearly have no appetite” for press regulation, “because their friends in the press said so.”
Prince Harry indicated that he felt a moral obligation to hold the British media responsible for their actions. “They claim to hold public figures to account, but refuse to hold themselves accountable. If they’re supposedly policing society, who on earth is policing them, when even the government is scared of alienating them because position is power? It is incredibly worrying for the entire UK,” he said.
Harry also called on British journalists to expose those in the media who had “stolen or hijacked the privileges and powers of the press” or used “illegal or unlawful means for their own gain and agendas,” according to a report by the Guardian.
Are the Claims True?
Prince Harry’s distress is apparent, yet Mirror Group’s lawyer, Andrew Green, questioned the accuracy of his recollections. During the proceedings, Green systematically presented the articles to Prince Harry, inquiring if he could recall reading them when they were originally published. In numerous instances, Prince Harry admitted to not remembering.
Green additionally argued that Prince Harry’s claims about the acquisition of stories through phone hacking or other illicit methods were purely speculative. The lawyer emphasized that there have been various channels through which information about Prince Harry has reached the media, asserting that unlawful press activities are not always necessary.
A Mission to Reform UK Media
After stepping back from his royal duties in 2020, Prince Harry has taken up a cause to bring about change within the British media. His witness statement concludes with a rallying cry, urging for press regulation and condemning certain journalists, accusing them of being responsible for negative consequences.
Prince Harry asserts that these journalists claim to hold public figures accountable, yet they evade their own accountability. He questions who is overseeing the media when even the government fears alienating them due to their influential position. He expresses deep concern for the entire United Kingdom in light of this situation.
Associated Press contributed to this report
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