Prince Harry took a combative tone on Wednesday when he testified in the case against the publisher of the Daily Mail and his the last legal battle With Associated Newspaper Ltd. it was “in the public interest”.
Harry and six other high-profile figures, including Elton John and actress Elizabeth Hurley, allege the publisher invaded their privacy by engaging in “a clear, systematic and persistent use of illegal information gathering” for two decades, lawyer David Sherborne said. Celebrities allege the company illegally spied by hiring private investigators to hack phones, bug cars and access private records. Testimony from several private investigators who said they worked on behalf of Associated Newspapers will be used at trial.
Associated Newspapers Ltd. has denied the allegations, calling them absurd and saying that about 50 of the articles in question were reported with legitimate sources of close associates willing to inform about their famous friends.
Harry said in his 23-page witness statement that he had been distressed and disturbed by the Mail on Sunday’s intrusion into his early life and had made him “more paranoid than credible”. Harry also alleged that the lives of “thousands of people” had been “invaded” by Associated because of “greed”.
“There is clearly a personal element to making this claim, motivated by truth, justice and accountability, but it is not just about me,” Harry said in a written statement when he entered the witness box. Under the English civil court system, witnesses give written testimony, which is immediately cross-examined after it is confirmed to be true. “I’m determined to hold the associates accountable, for everyone’s sake … I think it’s in the public interest.”
Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP 
Hot exam
Harry, dressed in a dark suit, held a small Bible in his right hand at the High Court in London and swore to “God Almighty” that the evidence I will give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. After the Duke of Sussex said he preferred to be called Prince Harry, he admitted his 23-page statement was genuine and accurate.
Defense lawyer Antony White, in a calm and gentle tone, began to question Harry about whether the source of the articles had indeed come from royal correspondents working on official events or friends or associates of the prince. Harry said his “social circles weren’t leaky” and disputed suggestions he was comfortable with reporters which covered the royal family.
Harry suggested that the information came from either wiretapping his phone calls or private investigators snooping on him. He said journalist Katie Nicholl had the luxury of misleadingly using the term “unidentified source” to hide illegal investigative measures.
“If you complain, in my experience they double down on you,” he said at the time against the articles, not explaining why.
As an outspoken Harry became increasingly defensive, White said, “I intend for you not to have a bad experience with me, but it’s my job to ask you these questions.”
Judge Matthew Nicklin eventually intervened in the tense back-and-forth and told Harry not to argue with the defense lawyer as he tried to explain what it’s like to live under what he called “24-hour surveillance.” Nicklin also reminds Harry that he “doesn’t have to bear the burden of arguing the case today.”
At another point in his examination, Harry appeared close to tears as he said the tabloids had made his wife Meghan’s life an “absolute misery”. Harry said earlier persistent press attacks and it led to the decision of the couple to leave the royal life Go to USA in 2020.
Harry’s media crusade
For decades, Harry has had what he called a “cozy” relationship with the media, but he kept mum and followed the family protocol of “never complain, never explain,” he said.
The lawsuit is part of Harry’s self-proclaimed mission to reform the media blamed for his mother’s death. Princess DianaIn 1997 he died in a car accident in Paris while being chased by paparazzi.
She said the “vicious persistent attacks”, bullying and articles about racist incidents about Meghan, who is biracial, finally pushed her to break with the family tradition. report the press.
This is Harry’s second time testifying after ditching the tradition of the House of Windsor to become the first to declare the main king In a court case dating back more than a century, he took the stand in 2023 in a similar successful case against the publisher of the Daily Mirror.
Last year, on the eve of another planned trial, Rupert Murdoch’s UK tabloid publisher NGN Harry agreed to pay “substantial damages” for privacy breaches, including phone hacking.
This trial is expected to last nine weeks and a written verdict could come a month later.
“If Harry wins this case, it will give him the feeling … that he wasn’t being paranoid all along,” Royah Nikkhah, royal editor of The Sunday Times and CBS News contributor. he told CBS News on Monday. “If Harry loses this case, it’s a big risk for him, not just in terms of cost, but in terms of pushing it to trial and not settling. So we have to wait and see, but it’s a big gamble for Harry.”