Piers Morgan rips ‘greedy’ Prince Harry after court ruling

Piers Morgan responded to Prince Harry after the Duke of Sussex named the former Daily Mirror editor in his ‘dragon slaying’ victory speech.

Piers Morgan said “ruthless, greedy” Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were attempting to destroy the British monarchy after the Duke named the former Daily Mirror editor in his “dragon slaying” victory lap.

In a landmark Judgement against the Mirror Group, the court ruled 15 articles relating to Prince Harry may have involved unlawful information gathering, with one of those during Morgan’s nine-year tenure as editor.

Morgan said he had “zero knowledge” of how that story was gathered, and that all other claims against the Daily Mirror under his leadership were rejected.

“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,” Morgan said.

Prince Harry called out Piers Morgan after winning a landmark court case. Picture: AFP

Morgan said he was never given an opportunity to defend allegations from old foes with an axe to grind. Picture: Getty Images

“And nobody has produced any actual evidence to prove that I did. I wasn’t called as a witness, it’s 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.”

In a statement saying he was “slaying dragons”, Prince Harry took direct aim the British broadcaster, saying “editors such as Piers Morgan, clearly knew about or were involved in these illegal activities”.

“Between them, they even went as far as lying under oath to parliament, during the Leveson Inquiry, to the Stock Exchange, and to us all ever since,” Harry said.

Harry’s remark came after the judge said in his verdict he believed evidence by Endgame author Omid Scobie, who claimed he saw Morgan informed that a story about Kylie Minogue had come from hacked messages.

Morgan, a Sky News Australia host, said he wasn’t given the opportunity to respond to allegations made in court by “old foes” with an “axe to grind”.

“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 knows him to be a deluded fantasist,” Morgan said.

Endgame author Omid Scobie gave key evidence to the trial. Picture: Supplied

Following the ruling, Prince Harry called on police and prosecutors to “do their duty” to open an investigation, and consider charges, as he vowed to continue his commitment to a “free and honest press”.

“That is what we need in Britain and across the globe. Anything else is poisoning the well for a profession we all depend on,” Prince Harry said.

“The acts listed in this Judgement are prime examples of what happens when the power of the press is abused.”

Morgan said Harry’s outrage at media intrusion into the private lives of the royal family was matched only 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,” Morgan said.

“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 callus 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 clear his real mission, along with his wife, is to destroy the British monarchy. And I will continue to do whatever I can to stop them.”

Originally published as Piers Morgan rips ‘greedy’ Prince Harry after court ruling