Prince Harry delivered nearly two hours of testimony at London’s High Court Wednesday, January 21, and ended things on an especially emotional note.
As he wrapped up, Harry, 41, noted that U.K. tabloids have been making life for his wife, Meghan Markle, an “absolute misery.” Harry and Meghan notably departed the United Kingdom in 2020 after stepping back as senior royals, and currently live in California with their young children.
“By standing up here and taking a stand against them, this has continued to come after me,” Harry said, per People. “And they have made my wife’s life an absolute misery, my Lord.”
The day concluded Harry’s evidence against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday. Harry’s legal battle has spanned years, something he also referenced while delivering his remarks.
“Through the course of this litigation, it’s only got worse, not better,” Harry said of British press attention to the court fight. “It’s fundamentally wrong to put all of us through all of this again. What’s required is an apology and some accountability. It’s a horrible experience.”
People also reported Harry was “on the verge of tears” and was forced to pause while addressing the judge toward the end of his testimony.
A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex explained in a statement to the outlet, “Today’s cross-examination was revealing in its weakness: assertive in tone, but collapsing immediately under scrutiny from Prince Harry. Associated couldn’t wait to get him off the stand, questioning him for just 2 hours and avoiding 10 of his 14 articles entirely.”
Prince Harry sued Associated Newspapers along with 6 other people
Harry is one of seven people who sued Associated Newspapers (the list also includes Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley). The royal’s complaints include charges of unlawful gathering of information, and Harry has explained he felt he needed to take legal action after witnessing the “sometimes racist” coverage Markle was hit with after the couple announced their relationship in 2016.
“However, in late 2016, when my relationship with Meghan, my now wife, became public, I started to become increasingly troubled by the approach of not taking action against the press in the wake of vicious persistent attacks on, harassment of and intrusive, sometimes racist articles concerning Meghan,” Harry explained in a witness statement obtained by People. “The situation got worse when she became pregnant and after our son, Archie, was born.”
