Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, gave a moving testimony in London’s High Court against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), the publisher of the Daily Mail, for allegedly breaking the law by invading his privacy. The trial is about phone hacking, surveillance, and bugging, and it involves famous people like Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley.
Harry looked upset and swore on the Bible that he wanted to be called “Prince Harry” during cross-examination by ANL lawyer Antony White. He denied having friends who worked for Mail, saying that sensitive details about stories came from illegal sources, not his friends. Harry wrote a 23-page witness statement in which he said that the press had been bothering him for most of his life, making him “paranoid beyond belief.”
The Duke said he couldn’t complain about tabloid stories before because of royal protocol: “Never complain, never explain,” which kept him quiet in the institution. He said that the Mail was using surveillance to “endlessly pursue” people in order to boost sales, and he claimed that sources were hiding illegal information gathering. Harry has sued tabloids three times before, winning or settling with The Sun and Mirror Group.
Sadie Frost and Jude Law are among the co-claimants who say that ANL hired private investigators to bug cars and steal private information for decades. ANL calls the accusations “ridiculous” and says the trial could be worth tens of millions. After quick defense openings, the proceedings moved Harry’s testimony to Wednesday.
