Prince Harry fought back tears as he testified in the High Court on Wednesday, saying the Daily Mail had made his wife, Meghan Markle,'s life "an absolute misery." The testimony came as part of a privacy lawsuit against the newspaper's publisher, Associated Newspapers.
The Duke of Sussex, 41, along with six other plaintiffs - including singer Elton John - accuse Associated of violating privacy from the early 1990s to the 2010s, through illegal methods such as voicemail interceptions, the planting of listening devices and fraudulently obtaining information.
Associated, which also publishes the Mail on Sunday, has called the allegations “ridiculous libel”, insisting its journalists had legitimate sources, including friends and acquaintances of public figures. During cross-examination, Associated’s lawyer, Antony White, tried to argue that some of the journalists were part of Harry’s social circle, a claim he categorically denied.
“The idea that my social circle was ‘fluid’ is untrue,” Harry said, adding that he had never been friends with the journalists involved. Emotionally, he stressed that all they were asking for was “an apology and accountability,” but that the legal battle had only made the situation worse. “They have made my wife’s life an absolute misery,” he said, choking back emotion.
Harry, the youngest son of King Charles III, became the first member of the royal family in 130 years to testify in court against the British media in 2023. The current case centers on 14 articles that his legal team says were produced through illegal information gathering. The Associated Press has denied the claims, insisting the materials were obtained legally.
