Prince Harry became emotional in a London courtroom as he accused the Daily Mail of making his wife Meghan’s life “an absolute misery” during testimony in his ongoing privacy lawsuit against the newspaper’s publisher.
Appearing at the High Court, the Duke of Sussex said the litigation had intensified personal strain while reviving years of disputed media coverage tied to alleged unlawful newsgathering practices.
His appearance marked another rare moment of a senior royal giving evidence, as the case forms part of a broader legal challenge involving multiple high-profile figures.
The lawsuit, brought by Prince Harry and six other claimants including musician Elton John, targets Associated Newspapers Limited over alleged privacy violations dating from the early 1990s through the 2010s.
The claim centers on 14 articles that Harry’s legal team argues relied on illegal methods such as phone hacking, bugging, and deceptive information gathering.
Associated Newspapers, which publishes the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, has rejected the accusations as “preposterous smears” and maintains that its journalists relied on legitimate sources.
Under cross-examination by Associated’s lawyer Antony White, Harry firmly denied suggestions that reporters obtained information from friends within a “leaky” social circle.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I am not friends with any of these journalists and I never have been,” he said.
Harry also questioned why private investigators were allegedly used if journalists had such close personal access to his acquaintances.
As questioning turned to the personal consequences of the case, Harry’s voice cracked while describing what he said was ongoing targeting since the litigation began.
“I think it is fundamentally wrong to have to put all of us through this again when all we were asking for is an apology and some accountability,” he said.
Choking up, he added: “They have made my wife's life an absolute misery.”
The court heard that Harry acknowledged speaking civilly with reporters at times, describing such interactions as unavoidable despite feeling his private life had been commercialized.
Proceedings were adjourned until the following morning after Harry concluded his evidence, with his legal team saying no further witnesses were ready to testify that day.