Harry gave an emotional testimony in a London court, denouncing that the Daily Mail made Meghan Markle’s life hell through illegal information gathering practices
Prince Harry struggled to contain his emotions as he concluded his statement in a London court on Wednesday, as part of his case against the publisher of the Daily Mail over allegations of illegally collecting information, saying they “made my wife’s life a living hell”.
The Duke of Sussex, 41, told London’s High Court that he “couldn’t have complained” about the tabloid stories central to his claim at the time of publication “because of the institution he was in”.
Harry returned from the United States to give evidence in the civil case, which began on Monday and is expected to last nine weeks.
— including Elton John, David Furness and Elizabeth Hurley — accusing Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) of allegedly collecting information through illicit practices, such as hiring private investigators to listen to voicemails, wiretapping phones and “obtaining” sensitive private records through fraud.
The tabloid’s publisher has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, insisting that its journalists reported stories using legitimate sources. The publisher also claims that the group of complainants came forward with the allegations too late.
The duke arrived at the Royal Courts of Justice at around 11am on Wednesday, smiling and waving to the crowds in the street. He had watched the proceedings over the previous two days, sitting behind his legal team along with other complainants, before becoming the first to testify – his second court appearance in three years.
In a separate proceeding in 2023, he became the first senior member of the British royal family to give evidence in more than 130 years.
The duke’s specific complaint is based on 14 articles published between 2001 and 2013, mainly written by two journalists, which caused him “great distress” and had “no relevant public interest”, according to written submissions from his legal team. The Duke alleges that these stories contained information gathered through nefarious tactics.
In his statement, Harry said he had always had “an uncomfortable relationship” with the press, but that “there was no alternative; I was conditioned to accept it”.
He also said that the stories he contested were part of “an endless persecution, a campaign, an obsession with having every aspect of my life under surveillance so they could outdo competitors and lead me to a state of extreme paranoia, isolating me and probably wanting me to resort to drugs and alcohol to sell more newspapers.”
The duke also said he initiated the process because he was “determined to hold Associated to account, for the good of everyone” and believed his complaint was “in the public interest”.
Harry denies that friends provided information
Prince Harry gives evidence in his privacy case against the editor of the Daily Mail at the High Court in London, Wednesday, in this courtroom sketch. Julia Quenzler/Reuters
During questioning, Harry was sometimes involved in tense exchanges with ANL lawyer Antony White, such as when he was asked whether some of the journalists who wrote the stories might have spent time with his social circle, which the lawyer described as “loose”.
White suggested that the reporters were at the same events as him and, as a result, could have obtained information for the stories through these means, which the Duke disputed.
“Having lived within this system all my life… the kind of information that ends up in these articles is not the kind of thing I would be talking about,” Harry said of the witness.
“I’m not friends with any of these journalists. I never have been,” he added.
White also suggested that Harry could have complained about these stories at the time of publication, but chose not to. Harry responded by saying he was “not allowed to complain,” citing the royal family adage: “Never complain, never explain.”
Concluding his statement on Wednesday afternoon, Harry was visibly emotional as he spoke about the impact of suing the ANL, describing it as “a recurring traumatic experience”.
He said he thought it was “fundamentally wrong to put us all in this situation again when all we were asking for was an apology and some accountability”.
“It’s a horrible experience and the worst thing is that by taking a stand and speaking out here… they made my wife’s life a real hell,” he continued.
After the hearing, Prince Harry said in a statement: “Today we reminded the Mail Group who is on trial and why.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Duke said that “Today’s cross-examination revealed his weakness: assertive in tone, but immediately collapsing under Prince Harry’s scrutiny. The Associated couldn’t wait to take him off the witness stand, questioning him for just 2 hours and avoiding 10 of his 14 articles altogether.”
Prince Harry will attend the proceedings this Thursday morning to show solidarity with the other complainants, his spokesperson confirmed to CNN. Elizabeth Hurley is expected to testify.
On Tuesday, White said the group’s allegations against the company were “poorly substantiated” and argued that ANL journalists provide “a convincing explanation of a pattern of legitimate sourcing.” He also said that the payments to private detectives, cited by Harry’s legal team, were “baseless attempts to create a pattern where none exists”.
The duke has long been critical of British tabloid newspapers and the tactics used to cover his life, engaging in a years-long battle with several editors. In previous clashes with the press, Harry successfully launched legal proceedings against Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers (NGN) and Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), after which he received apologies, admissions of wrongdoing and compensation.
CNN’s Max Foster contributed to this report.
