The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry is suing Britain’s biggest media group, Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over alleged unlawful information gathering between 1993 and 2011.
The 41-year-old on Wednesday told a London court that Britain’s biggest newspaper group had unlawfully invaded his privacy for years, as he gave emotional evidence in his legal battle against the publisher of the Daily Mail, saying the treatment had made his wife Meghan’s life “an absolute misery.”
He is bringing the case alongside Baroness Doreen Lawrence, politician Sir Simon Hughes, actresses Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley, and Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish.
ANL strongly denies the claims and says they were filed too late.
Harry spent about two hours at the High Court being cross-examined by ANL’s lawyer, Anthony White, appearing visibly frustrated at several points during the intense session.
He told the court the idea that he has no right to privacy is “disgusting” and that it was “fundamentally wrong to put us through this again when all we wanted was an apology and accountability.”
“I have never believed that my life is open season to be commercialised by these people,” he said.
It was at the end of his evidence, when he spoke about his wife, that he became emotional.
“They continue to come after me, they have made my wife’s life an absolute misery, my Lord,” he said, his voice faltering.
The Duchess of Sussex previously sued ANL and won in 2021 after The Mail on Sunday published parts of a “personal and private” letter she wrote to her father, Thomas Markle.
In his written witness statement released on Tuesday, Harry spoke about his “uneasy relationship” with the press since the death of his mother, Princess Diana, when he was 12.
He said public attention intensified after his relationship with Meghan became known in 2016, leaving him “increasingly troubled” by what he described as “vicious, persistent attacks on, harassment of and intrusive, sometimes racist articles.”
According to Sky News, Harry is relying on 14 newspaper articles in his case against ANL.
During his exchanges with Mr White, the duke insisted he wanted to clearly explain his experiences, sometimes prompting Judge Nicklin to remind him that he did not “have to bear the burden of arguing the case today”, but only needed to answer questions.
Harry told the judge he had had a “bad experience” in previous court cases.
He also denied claims that stories came from “leaky” friends or associates, saying his life had been “commercialised” since his teenage years, with the press “delving into every aspect of my private life”.
He said he was unable to challenge media reports while he was still a working royal because of the “institution” he belonged to and the sheer volume of coverage.
“If you complain, they double down on you, in my experience,” he said.
In a statement released after the hearing, Harry said: “Today we reminded the Mail Group who is on trial and why.”
On Tuesday, Mr White had described the case as “threadbare” and said journalists would show that the articles were sourced legitimately.
In written submissions, he said the publisher “strongly denies” any unlawful information gathering, including voicemail interception, involving the duke.
The trial continues, with actress Liz Hurley expected to give evidence.
