The Duke of Sussex initiated legal action against Mirror Group Newspapers, accusing them of engaging in unlawful information-gathering practices.
Prince Harry appeared at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Tuesday to testify against Mirror Group Newspapers.
The Duke of Sussex, 38, initiated this legal action in 2019, accusing Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) of engaging in unauthorized information acquisition by hacking into his phone voicemails. MGN is responsible for publishing prominent newspapers such as the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, and Daily Express.
Upon his arrival at the Rolls Building in the High Court, Prince Harry was warmly welcomed by his legal representative.
In his witness statement made on Tuesday, Harry expressed that tabloids would frequently publish articles about him that were often inaccurate but contained fragments of truth, which he now suspects were likely obtained through the interception of voicemails or other unlawful means of gathering information.
He further stated, “I genuinely feel that in every relationship that I’ve ever had — be that with friends, girlfriends, with family or with the army, there’s always been a third party involved, namely the tabloid press. Having seen me grow up from a baby (being born into this ‘contractual relationship’ without any choice) and scrutinised my every move, the tabloids have known the challenges and mental health struggles that I have had to deal with throughout my childhood and adult life and for them to then play on that and use it to their own advantage, I think is, well, criminal.”
The witness statement included a list of individuals with whom Prince Harry maintained regular voice message exchanges. Among those named were his brother, Prince William, his father, King Charles, his mother, Princess Diana, and his former girlfriend, Chelsy Davy.
Prince Harry further provided specific information about peculiar phone behavior, which involved instances where he discovered voicemails without receiving a notification on his phone indicating a new message. In his witness statement, he explained, “I wouldn’t go into my voicemail unless the little envelope symbol flashed up on my phone signaling to me that I had a new message. Sometimes this symbol would vanish before I had a chance to listen to the voicemail.”
Prince Harry’s Testimony Reveals Distress and Allegations Against Tabloids
During his time on the witness stand, Prince Harry faced probing questions from Andrew Green, the lawyer representing Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN). Initially addressed as “the Duke of Sussex” and later as “Prince Harry” in court, he expressed that every single article published about him had caused him distress, asserting that the content of these articles had even influenced the behavior of people around him.
Prince Harry lamented the pervasive presence of newspapers within palaces, stating, “I saw a lot of articles at the time, and the ones I didn’t see, I was made aware of by the reaction of other people.” He went on to accuse tabloids of having “blood on their hands” for the pain they have inflicted.
At one point, Green pointed to a 2000 article about Prince Harry visiting a London gastropub, suggesting alternative ways the newspaper might have obtained the information without unlawful means, such as a member of the public reporting it. In response, Prince Harry stated, “I do not believe that as a witness it’s my job to deconstruct the article or be able to answer which parts are unlawfully obtained and which aren’t. I think the journalist themselves should be doing that.’
Concerning a story about Prince Harry breaking his thumb while at school, he expressed surprise at the level of detail in the article. When Green inquired about the source of the information, Prince Harry speculated that it may have been obtained from the doctor’s phone but couldn’t be certain. Green argued that this was pure speculation, to which Prince Harry disagreed, suggesting that the journalist should provide insights into how they acquired the information.
Following a lunch break, Green introduced a narrative regarding Prince Harry’s contraction of glandular fever. This information had been shared by a representative from the palace and had also been reported in various other newspapers. While Prince Harry acknowledged the similarities, he chose not to engage in additional speculation, emphasizing that any further assertions would be based solely on conjecture.
Green also questioned a story about Prince Harry being named a godfather to his former nanny’s child, which had already been published by The Sunday Times a week prior to the article in question. Prince Harry acknowledged the similarities once again but opted not to delve deeper into the subject.
Prince Harry’s testimony shed light on the distress caused by media scrutiny and raised serious allegations against tabloid practices during the proceedings.
Why Prince Harry Did Not Show up at the Court on Monday
Prince Harry was absent from the court proceedings on Monday, the day after his daughter, Princess Lilibet’s, second birthday. His attorney, David Sherborne, informed the court that his client was unable to give evidence as he had traveled from California the previous night.
Explaining the situation, Sherborne stated, “His travel arrangements are such and his security arrangements are such that it is a little bit tricky,” as reported by Reuters.
Prince Harry’s testimony as a witness against the newspaper group marks a historic moment, making him the first prominent member of the British royal family to testify in court in 130 years, according to Reuters. The previous royal to do so was King Edward VII, who provided testimony in a divorce case in 1870 and later in a slander trial related to a card game in 1890 before ascending to the throne.
Back in April, the Associated Press reported that Prince Harry was expected to testify against MGN in early to mid-June. The trial began on May 10, a mere four days after the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla. Prince Harry briefly visited the U.K. to witness his father’s coronation at Westminster Abbey on May 6 before promptly returning to California. Meghan Markle remained in the United States with their young children, including their son Prince Archie, who celebrated his fourth birthday the same day as the coronation.