In a highly anticipated court appearance, Prince Harry has once again taken the stand against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, in his ongoing legal battle against sections of the British press. The Duke of Sussex, flanked by his security detail, slipped into the rear of court 76 at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, armed with a bottle of water and a grievance built over decades.
This is the third major newspaper publisher that Prince Harry has pursued in court over alleged illegal information gathering. However, the prince seemed especially eager to have his say against Associated Newspapers, which he claims routinely used illegal methods to report on him between 2001, when he was 16, and 2013.
During his testimony, Prince Harry was visibly emotional and tetchy as he was cross-examined by Antony White KC, acting for the newspaper group. The prince rejected claims that he was “a friend” of Daily Mail journalist Katie Nicholl, author of several articles referenced in his case, and denied using a Facebook profile under the name “Mr Mischief” to contact a Mail on Sunday journalist.
The prince’s testimony painted a portrait of privilege and paranoia, as he described an “endless pursuit, a campaign, an obsession of having every aspect of my life under surveillance” by the newspapers, which he said was done to “get the run on their competitors and drive me paranoid beyond belief, isolating me and probably wanting to drive me to drugs and drinking to sell more of their paper”.
More than once, the judge had to interrupt Prince Harry’s tetchy responses to the barrister, reminding him that the lawyer was simply doing his job in challenging aspects of the evidence. The prince acknowledged that he had had a “bad experience” with another barrister in a previous case, but the judge reassured him that this would not be the case here.
Towards the end of his testimony, Prince Harry’s voice broke as he apparently fought back tears, telling the court: “They have made my wife’s life an absolute misery, my lord.” The judge swiftly released him, and the red-faced and sniffing prince immediately left the court.
The high-stakes trial is expected to have a profound effect on the UK media landscape, as Prince Harry’s battle against the press continues to unfold in the public eye.
