Six months ago, Prince Harry won a highly-publicized trial against the British tabloid system MGN. He accused them of illegally collecting information about him and invading his privacy by hacking into his personal phone. Despite winning the trial and receiving compensation, there are now suspicions that Harry may have tampered with evidence related to the case.
MGN’s lawyer claims that Harry deleted text messages with someone who helped him write his memoir, published in January 2023. Harry’s lawyer denies these allegations, stating that he provided all necessary evidence to the court. The court has ordered Harry to disclose drafts of his book and messages with his co-writers, as evidence was allegedly deleted after the trial began.
The judge described the deletion of evidence as “disturbing” and ordered efforts to recover the deleted messages. Additionally, the royal’s legal team must request all records of communication with Harry from the king’s private secretary and governor. This comes after a lengthy legal battle where Harry proved he was a victim of illegal information gathering by the tabloid system.
The court ruling has raised questions about the integrity of the evidence presented in the trial and the potential consequences for Prince Harry. Despite his victory in the initial trial, this latest development could have serious implications for the Duke of Sussex and his ongoing legal battles against media outlets.