LONDON (AP) 鈥� said his crusade against the British tabloids has contributed to his royal family rift, according to a documentary airing Thursday.
In his most extensive comments since he when a judge found phone hacking was 鈥渨idespread and habitual鈥� at the U.K.'s Mirror Group Newspapers, the Duke of Sussex told the broadcaster ITV that he wished his family had joined him in his .
Harry said his ongoing battle with the tabloids in public 鈥� becoming the the first senior royal in over a century to testify in court 鈥� was a 鈥渃entral piece鈥� to his family fallout.
鈥淭he mission continues, but it has, yes, it鈥檚 caused, as you say, part of a rift,鈥� Harry said in 鈥淭abloids On Trial.鈥�
Harry, 39, the younger son of King Charles III, broke with the family's attitude of 鈥渘ever complain, never explain鈥� by taking the press to court.
His father opposed his litigation, Harry said in legal filings. He also revealed that his older brother William, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, had secretly settled a complaint against Rupert Murdoch's News Group Newspapers for a 鈥渉uge鈥� sum.
The lawsuits, however, are not the only source of family friction.
Harry literally distanced himself from his kin when he and his wife, Meghan, opted to for the U.S. in 2020. They cited intrusions and a racist attitude by the media toward Meghan, who is biracial. The couple later suggested there was racial bias within the royal family, an allegation likely to have further alienated Harry before removed all doubt there was a division.
The duke said it was difficult to answer a question about his strained bonds 鈥溾�漛ecause anything I say about my family results in a torrent of abuse from the press."
The program also features actor , former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and England soccer great Paul Gascoigne.
Grant, who is involved with the group 鈥淗acked Off鈥� to expose the impact from the widespread that sank Murdoch's News of the World in 2011, recently settled his lawsuit against News Group for what he called 鈥渁n enormous sum of money."
Grant said he reluctantly settled because a court policy that discourages lengthy trials could stick him with a 10 million pound ($12.9 million) legal bill if he was awarded anything less than the settlement offer.
Grant accused The Sun tabloid of unlawfully tapping his phone, bugging his car and breaking into his home to snoop on him, among other intrusions.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 hold massive grievances against the foot soldiers, or these guys who did this stuff, not against them," Grant said in the documentary. 鈥淏ut I remain bitter and determined to exact justice on the executives who commissioned this stuff.鈥�
Harry continues in his fight. His lawsuit against News Group is ongoing and he has a similar case pending against the publisher of the Daily Mail, which disputes his claims.
News Group issued an unreserved apology in 2011 to victims of voicemail interception by the News of the World, which closed its doors after a . NGN said it has settled 1,300 claims for its newspapers, though The Sun has never accepted liability.
Harry said he wished his family had taken a stand against media offenses for "the greater good.鈥�
鈥淏ut, you know, I鈥檓 doing this for my reasons,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think everything that鈥檚 played out has shown people what the truth of the matter is."
Brian Melley, The Associated Press
