'Made My Wife's Life An Absolute Misery': Prince Harry Blasts UK Tabloids In Court

Prince Harry on Wednesday accused British tabloids of making his wife Meghan’s life “an absolute misery” as he finished giving evidence at London’s High Court.

An emotional Harry said the long-running legal battle against Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL) had been a “horrible experience” and left him deeply distressed.

Harry was testifying in a joint lawsuit against ANL, the publisher of the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday. He and six other claimants, including singer Elton John, allege the newspapers carried out privacy invasions and unlawful information gathering over many years.

Holding back tears in court, Harry said it was “disgusting” to hear the publishers argue that he had no right to privacy. “Having to sit here and go through this all

over again and have them in their own defence claim that I don’t have any right to any privacy is disgusting,” he said.

He added that by taking a stand, the media continued to target him and his family. “They’ve made my wife’s life an absolute misery,” Harry told the court.

Harry, 41, stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and later moved to California with Meghan, following years of tension within the royal family. The couple, who have two children, have repeatedly spoken about media intrusion and the impact of negative coverage on Meghan after she joined the royal family.

The prince has also blamed aggressive media behaviour for the death of his mother, Princess Diana, who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 while being pursued by photographers. He has described his legal action as a personal mission to hold tabloids to account.

The ANL case is the third and final lawsuit Harry has brought against a British newspaper group. He previously won a phone-hacking claim against Mirror Group Newspapers and last year received substantial damages from Rupert Murdoch’s UK publisher, News Group Newspapers.

ANL has strongly denied all allegations, dismissing them as “lurid” and “preposterous”. The trial is expected to continue for several weeks.

(With inputs from AFP)