Piers Morgan today slammed Prince Harry as “ruthless and greedy” after he was dragged into the royal’s phone hacking battle.
The TalkTV host spoke out after the Duke of Sussex was awarded $268,000 following his successful legal fight against the Mirror’s publisher at the High Court.
Piers was named in today’s ruling due to his role as the newspaper’s editor between 1995 and 2004.
He insisted he had “zero knowledge” of the single article published in his time in charge that may have involved illegal information gathering.
In his scathing statement, Piers accused Omid Scobie of lying about him in his book Endgame and during the trial, and blasted Alastair Campbell for leading the UK into an “illegal war” and called him a “proven liar”.
He also accused Prince Harry of smearing his family as a “bunch of callous racists without producing a shred of proof”, and slammed the duke for “profiting in the hundreds of millions” for “trashing his family in public” as his grandparents were dying.
Piers also claimed Harry has been repeatedly exposed “as someone who wouldn’t know the truth if it slapped him around his California-tanned face”.
Speaking outside his home, he added: “Prince Harry’s outrage at media intrusion into the private lives of the royal family is only matched by his own ruthless, greedy and hypocritical enthusiasm for doing it himself.”
Piers tore into Harry for pursuing a case against the “appalling behaviour of the press”, when he has “repeatedly trashed his family in public for hundreds of millions of dollars”.
He added: “It’s hard to imagine, frankly, more appalling behaviour than that.
“He demands accountability from the press, but refuses to accept any for himself – for smearing the royal family, his own family, as a bunch of callous racists without producing a shred of proof to support those disgraceful claims.”
Piers also claimed Harry’s “real mission, with his wife, is to destroy the British monarchy”, before pledging to do whatever he can to stop the couple.
Harry sued MGN after claiming journalists were linked to methods including phone hacking, so-called “blagging” or gaining information by deception and use of private investigators for unlawful activities.
His case was heard alongside similar claims brought by Coronation Street actor Michael Turner, who is known professionally as Michael Le Vell, and actress Nikki Sanderson.
Piers targeted those who gave evidence in Harry’s case – including author Omid Scobie and journalist Alastair Campbell.
He said as he was not called as a witness himself, he was unable to respond to the “many false allegations that were spewed about me in court by old foes of mine with an axe to grind”.
He added: “I know the judge appears to have believed the evidence of Omid Scobie, who lied about me in his new book and he lied about me in court, and the whole world now knows him to be a deluded fantasist.
“And he believed the evidence of Alastair Campbell, another proven liar who spun this country into an illegal war.”
A judge found there was “extensive” phone hacking by Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) from 2006 to 2011, “even to some extent” during the Leveson Inquiry into media standards.
Mr Justice Fancourt also ruled Harry’s phone was probably hacked “to a modest extent” by the publisher.
Piers said there is “no evidence” to suggest that he ever hacked a phone, or told someone else to do so.
He added: “I had then and still have zero knowledge of how that particular story was gathered.
“I also want to reiterate, as I’ve consistently said for many years now, I’ve never hacked a phone or told anyone else to and nobody has provided any actual evidence to prove that I did.”
Piers ended his statement by telling journalists: “Merry Christmas”.
Harry earlier took aim at Piers in his own scathing statement as he branded the ruling “vindicating and affirming”.
Piers’ statement in full:
“Today a judge in the High Court in London has ruled on various cases including Prince Harry’s claim against Mirror Group Newspapers, where I was an editor until 2004.
The judgment finds there is just one article relating to the prince published in The Daily Mirror during my entire nine-year tenure as editor that he thinks may have involved some unlawful information gathering.
To be clear I had then, and still have, zero knowledge of how that particular story was gathered.
All his other claims against the Daily Mirror under my leadership were rejected.
With regard to the judge’s other references to me in his judgment, I also want to reiterate, as I’ve consistently said for many years now, I’ve never hacked a phone or told anybody else to hack a phone.
And nobody has produced any actual evidence to prove that I did. “I wasn’t called as a witness – this is important for people to know this – by either side in the case, nor was I asked to provide any statement.
I would have very happily agreed to do either or both of those things had I been asked. Nor did I have a single conversation with any of the Mirror Group lawyers throughout the entire legal process.
So I wasn’t able to respond to the many false allegations that were spewed about me in court by old foes of mine with an axe to grind, most of which, inexplicably, were not even challenged in my absence by the Mirror Group counsel.
But I note the judge appears to have believed the evidence of Omid Scobie, who lied about me in his new book, and he lied about me in court, and the whole world now knows him to be a deluded fantasist.
And he believed the evidence of Alastair Campbell, another proven liar who spun this country into an illegal war.
Finally, I want to say this: Prince Harry’s outrage at media intrusion into the private lives of the royal family is only matched by his own ruthless, greedy, and hypocritical enthusiasm for doing it himself.
He talked today about the appalling behaviour of the press but this is a guy who’s repeatedly trashed his family in public for hundreds of millions of dollars, even as two of its most senior and respected members were dying – his grandparents.
It’s hard to imagine, frankly, more appalling behaviour than that.
As for him saying this is a good day for truth, the duke has been repeatedly exposed in recent years as someone who wouldn’t know the truth if it slapped him around his California-tanned face.
He demands accountability for the press but refuses to accept any for himself for smearing the royal family, his own family, as a bunch of callous racists without producing a shred of proof to support those disgraceful claims.
He also says he’s on a mission to reform the media, when it’s become clear his real mission, along with his wife, is to destroy the British monarchy.
More Coverage
And I will continue to do whatever I can to stop them.
Merry Christmas.
This story originally appeared on The Sun and is republished here with permission.
Read related topics:Prince HarryncG1vNJzZmivp6x7r7HWrGWcp51jrrZ7xKernqqklravucSnq2iblaGyo77IrbBmpJmbsnC%2BzrKYpatfpbamvtJmpKiql5a7brXSrKyeq12orretxp5kq52jpbyvv8Rmq6hloKe2r6%2FEZp%2BaqqKuerPBy6KloGeemsS0edKtpquxX2qCo36QcJmeb2Jmg3OAxWppmm5na392gZBwbZ1uYJaA