British tabloid Daily Mirror to pay Prince Harry $180,000 in phone hacking case

This marked the first case among several lawsuits the prince has filed against tabloids.

In the High Court, Justice Timothy Fancourt ruled that phone hacking was a common and longstanding practice at Mirror Group Newspapers, with private investigators playing a crucial role in illicitly gathering information.

The judge said that the newspaper's executives were aware of this practice and actively concealed it.

In his crusade against the British media, the Duke of Sussex sought £440,000 ($560,000), breaking from his family's tradition of avoiding litigation.

He made history as the first senior member of the royal family to testify in court in over a century.

During his two-day appearance in June, Prince Harry, the estranged younger son of King Charles III, accused Mirror Group Newspapers of employing journalists who engaged in voicemail eavesdropping.

He further alleged that the newspaper had hired private investigators who used deception and unlawful methods to gather information about him and other family members.

In the High Court, Harry said that he believes that phone hacking was at an industrial scale across at least three of the papers at the time and that is beyond any doubt.