In a recent ITV documentary called Tabloids on Trial, Prince Harry spoke about his late mother, Princess Diana, defending her against accusations that she was overly paranoid about her phone being tapped before her death.
Back in 2007, Diana’s former Private Secretary, Michael Gibbins, revealed that Diana did believe her phone calls were being monitored. Gibbins said that while Diana never directly voiced her fears, her actions—like frequently changing her phone number—suggested she was concerned about eavesdropping. This suspicion was also mentioned in Diana’s 2011 biography, Diana: Her True Story, where it was noted that Diana would sometimes say things like “Hello boys, time to change the tape” during phone calls, hinting at her fears.
Diana’s concerns were later substantiated with an incident known as “Squidgygate,” where her private conversations with James Gilbey were leaked to the press. There are also allegations that the CIA might have tapped her phone on the night she died, although the agency has denied these claims.
Harry’s defense of his mother’s concerns comes as part of his ongoing battle against British tabloids. He won a lawsuit against the Mirror Group in 2023, receiving about $505,000 in damages for privacy violations, including illegal phone tapping. The judge in the case found that phone surveillance was a common practice at The Mirror during the 1990s, around the time of Diana’s death.
In the Tabloids on Trial documentary, Harry explained that his legal victory shows that his and his mother’s fears about phone tapping were justified. He criticized the media for continuing to portray Diana as paranoid, despite the evidence of surveillance.
Harry also revealed that his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, supported his efforts to fight for privacy. He mentioned that she encouraged him to persist in his legal battles. Additionally, Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, have decided not to return to the U.K. due to safety concerns exacerbated by negative tabloid coverage. Harry expressed worry that such coverage could incite harmful actions from individuals who might act on what they read.
