Prince Harry delivered powerful testimony in the High Court on Wednesday, revealing he felt pressured to cultivate working relationships with royal correspondents and was effectively forced to perform for them. The Duke of Sussex appeared emotional as he detailed his experiences during his privacy case against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday.
Conditioned to Accept Press Intrusion
Harry told the court he felt unable to complain about articles or press conduct due to the Royal Family's longstanding policy of 'never complain, never explain', which he had been conditioned to accept from a young age. He described this conditioning as creating an environment where journalists felt entitled to invade his privacy without consequence.
'I have never believed that my life is open season to be commercialised by these people,' Harry stated emphatically. 'It is disgusting for journalists to behave as though my wife and I have no right to privacy.'
Emotional Testimony About Impact
The Duke became visibly emotional as he described the ongoing impact of press attention, stating: 'They continue to come after me, they have made my wife's life an absolute misery.' His testimony formed part of a high-profile legal action he has brought alongside six other claimants, including Baroness Doreen Lawrence, mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence, and singer Sir Elton John.
Associated Newspapers has strongly denied all allegations that its journalists commissioned phone hacking, landline tapping, or engaged in other unlawful information gathering. The publisher has branded the claims 'preposterous' and 'simply untrue'.
Questioning About Sources and Relationships
During cross-examination by Antony White KC, representing Associated Newspapers, Harry was questioned about whether his friends might have been 'leaky' sources for journalists. He firmly rejected this suggestion, stating: 'For the avoidance of doubt, I'm not friends with any of these journalists and never have been. My social circles were not leaky, I want to make that absolutely clear.'
He also denied ever using a Facebook profile under the name 'Mr Mischief' to message a Mail on Sunday journalist. When questioned about whether a Mail on Sunday journalist frequented the same nightclubs as him and his friends, Harry responded tersely: 'Good for her.'
Damaged Relationships and Suspicion
Harry described how suspicions about press intrusion had severely damaged his relationships with friends and placed additional strain on his romantic relationships. He revealed that one former girlfriend, Chelsy Davy, felt 'hunted' and became terrified and shaken by alleged intrusion, eventually growing suspicious of her own friends.
'I cut contact with people I suspected of leaking information,' Harry explained, 'but I now believe journalists were hacking phones to get information about my private life.'
Allegations of Systematic Phone Hacking
The Duke stated he now believes information in fourteen articles submitted to the court came from phone hacking or 'blagging', though he had not suspected this at the time. He denied suggestions that the articles were selected by a 'research team', insisting they were chosen 'in collaboration with my legal team'.
In his witness statement, Harry revealed he had known about hacking allegations surrounding the News of the World's royal editor Clive Goodman, who was arrested in 2006. However, he had accepted then-Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre's evidence to the Leveson Inquiry in 2012 that there was no phone hacking at the Mail titles.
'If I had known earlier then I would have acted,' Harry stated, 'particularly given Associated's treatment of Meghan and her claim against it.'
Seeking Accountability and Justice
Harry told the court he was seeking 'an apology and accountability' through the legal proceedings. In his witness statement, he stated he was 'motivated by truth, justice and accountability'. His evidence was occasionally interrupted by trial judge Mr Justice Nicklin, who reminded him to answer questions rather than setting out his case.
The judge told Harry: 'You don't have to bear the burden of arguing this case today. You don't have to carry that burden, that's why Mr Sherborne's here,' referring to David Sherborne, the barrister representing Harry and the other claimants.
Previous Legal Actions and Continuing Case
This is not Harry's first legal action against newspaper publishers. He previously took action against the publisher of the Daily Mirror in 2023, and last year his privacy case against the publisher of the Sun and the now defunct News of the World was settled for an undisclosed sum.
The current case continues, with Harry's testimony forming a central part of the claimants' allegations against Associated Newspapers. The emotional and detailed nature of his evidence has brought significant attention to the proceedings, highlighting ongoing tensions between public figures and media organisations over privacy rights and journalistic practices.
