Prince Harry’s Lawyers Make Closing Remarks: What to Know About the Court Case

Harry’s legal team has argued that the illegal reporting methods resulted in invasive articles that hurt Harry’s trust in his friends and put a strain on his relationship with his then-girlfriend, Chelsy Davy.

What did the Mirror Group argue?

On Tuesday morning, the court heard only from the plaintiffs’ lawyer, but in the past, the Mirror Group’s lead lawyer, Andrew Green, has said in court that there was no evidence Prince Harry was ever hacked. Mr. Green’s legal team has argued that suspicion of phone hacking is not proof, and that some of the articles in question were published before the prince had a cellphone.

He added that by 2009, employees of another tabloid, The News of the World, owned by Rupert Murdoch, had been sentenced to jail for phone hacking, making it unlikely that the Mirror Group’s journalists would run the risk of doing the same.

They also said Harry had waited too long to sue.

What were the key moments in the case?

During the lawsuit, Harry condemned the British tabloid press and its methods, asking, “How much more blood will stain their typing fingers before someone can put a stop to this madness?”

He added that the tabloids’ actions had affected every area of his life, spurring “bouts of depression and paranoia.”

Harry said the persona that the tabloids created, a portrayal of him as the “thicko,” the “cheat,” the “underage drinker” and the “irresponsible drug taker,” had come to overshadow his life. And he said that press intrusion had been “the main factor” in his breakup with Ms. Davy.

What happens next?

After Mr. Sherborne finishes presenting his closing submissions, Mr. Green will speak for the Mirror Group. The judge has given them 10 hours each.

The judge’s decision is expected to be handed down two to three months after the end of the hearing, said Ahlia Rateb, a clerk to the judge.