Prince Harry Says Late Queen Elizabeth Is 'Up There' Saying 'See This Through to the End' amid His Legal Battles

"We had many conversations before she passed, this is very much something she supported, she knew how much this meant to me," the Duke of Sussex said during the 'Tabloids on Trial' documentary

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Queen Elizabeth II at the Queen's Young Leaders Awards Ceremony at Buckingham Palace on June 26, 2018 in London
ss of Sussex, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Queen Elizabeth II in 2018. Photo:

John Stillwell - WPA Pool/Getty

Prince Harry has always had a strong bond with his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth.

During a new interview for ITV's documentary Tabloids on Trial, which premiered on Thursday, July 25, Harry spoke to Rebecca Barry about winning his phone hacking lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) in December 2023, among other legal battles he has undertaken.

The Duke of Sussex, 39, mentioned he'd had multiple conversations about going up against the tabloids with the late Queen Elizabeth before her death on Sept. 8, 2022, at age 96. 

"We had many conversations before she passed, this is very much something she supported, she knew how much this meant to me," Harry said in the documentary. 

"She is up there going, 'See this through to the end,' without question," he added.

Queen Elizabeth II (L) and Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, leave St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, Windsor
Queen Elizabeth II (L) and Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, leave St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, Windsor, west of London, on May 18, 2019, after the wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor and Thomas Kingston.

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King Charles' son has recently been involved in four lawsuits against newspaper publishers in the U.K. over allegations of phone hacking and other unlawful acts.

Prince Harry first filed a lawsuit against MGN in 2019, alleging that his phone voicemails were hacked using unlawful information gathering. MGN denied the allegations. 

Following the December ruling, an MGN spokesperson said in a statement: "We welcome today's judgment that gives the business the necessary clarity to move forward from events that took place many years ago."

"Where historical wrongdoing took place, we apologize unreservedly, have taken full responsibility and paid appropriate compensation," the statement continued.

"Today is a great day for truth as well as accountability," Prince Harry said at the time in a statement read outside court by his lawyer David Sherbourne.

"I’ve been told that slaying dragons will get you burned. But in light of today’s victory and the importance of doing what is needed for a free and honest press — it’s a worthwhile price to pay. The mission continues," he added.

The Duke of Sussex still has two ongoing civil cases against the publishers of The Mail and The Sun; both of which deny unlawful information-gathering claims.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Harry attend at the annual Chelsea Flower show at Royal Hospital Chelsea
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Harry attend at the annual Chelsea Flower show at Royal Hospital Chelsea on May 18, 2015 in London, England.

Julian Simmonds - WPA Pool / Getty

Elsewhere in the documentary, Prince Harry discussed how his fight against the tabloids has played a "central piece" in his ongoing rift with his family.

"I think that's certainly a central piece to it," the Duke of Sussex said during the sit-down. "That's a hard question to answer because anything I say about my family results in a torrent of abuse from the press."

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"I've made it very clear that this is something that needs to be done. It would be nice if we did it as a family," he shared. "I believe that, again, from a service standpoint and when you're in a public role, that these are the things that we should be doing for the greater good. But I'm doing this for my reasons."

Prince Harry has lived in California since he and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped back as senior members of the royal family in 2020. The pair share two children: Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3.

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