LONDON - Prince Harry says in a new documentary that his legal battles with Britain’s tabloid press have contributed to the breakdown of his relationship with the royal family.
“It’s certainly a central piece to it,” Harry told the broadcaster ITV in the documentary Tabloids on Trial.
He is currently suing Rupert Murdoch’s UK newspaper arm, News Group Newspapers (NGN), and the publisher of the Daily Mail in two separate lawsuits, alleging unlawful activities by journalists and private investigators over several years.
In February he settled a hacking case against the Mirror Group newspapers by agreeing to “substantial” damages.
Harry has previously referred to the lawsuits as his “mission”. Both publishers deny the allegations and are fighting the lawsuits, which are being brought by Harry and others.
“I believe that from a service standpoint and when you are in a public role, that these are the things that we should be doing for the greater good, but I’m doing this for my reasons,” he told ITV.
“For me, the mission continues, but it has caused … part of a rift,” he added.
Harry blames British media for the death of his mother Princess Diana in a 1997 car crash. He has also accused British newspapers of hostile and racist attacks on his American wife Meghan, which were cited as a factor in their decision to quit royal duties and move to California in 2020.