Prince Harry is back in London for his court case against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), the publishers of the Daily Mail, and on Wednesday, he gave evidence in the trial.
Before he gave evidence, David Sherborne, who is representing the Duke of Sussex and other claimants in the case, asked Harry how he should be addressed in court, and whether this would be as His Royal Highness.
In response, Harry replied: “Same as last time,” but when he was pressed on how he had been addressed on the previous occasion, the royal had to admit: “I can’t remember.”
The moment prompted laughter in the courtroom before David clarified that the 41-year-old had been addressed as Prince Harry.
Harry’s evidence
Speaking in court, Harry appeared emotional as he said the publication made his wife, Meghan Markle’s life “an absolute misery”.
He said the case against ANL felt like a “recurring traumatic experience” and a “repeat of the past”, adding: “I have never believed that my life is open season to be commercialised by these people.” The father-of-two later added that the “claim that I don’t have any rights to any privacy is disgusting”.
© GettyIn his witness statement for the trial, Harry also said he has always had an “uneasy relationship” with the press, adding: “However, as a member of the institution the policy was to ‘never complain, never explain’.”
He was scheduled to give evidence on Thursday, but opening submissions for the claimants and ANL concluded earlier than expected on Tuesday.
© Getty ImagesNovember 2005
Buckingham Palace trigger police enquiry alleging News of the World’s story on Prince William’s knee injury could only have been attained through phone hacking.
January 2007
News of the World private investigator Glenn Mulcaire and royal editor Clive Goodman are sentenced to six and four months respectively for hacking the phones of royal aides. Goodman subsequently admits hacking William’s phone 35 times and Princess Kate’s over 150 times, but parent company News Corp maintains the pair were rogue employees.
January 2011
Police reopen the investigation after News of the World comes forward with “significant new information”.
April 2011
News of the World admits liability for the phone hacking and pays actress Sienna Miller £100,000 in a related settlement. A slew of settlements with various famous people follow.
July 2011
The Guardian alleges News of the World hacked the phone of 13-year-old murder victim Milly Dowler during the police search for her, prompting mass outrage and the closure by Rupert Murdoch of News of the World.
November 2012
British Prime Minister David Cameron instituted the Leveson inquiry into media ethics, which would go on to recommend the creation of an independent press watchdog backed by the government. To date, not all the recommendations have been implemented.
October 2013
Former News of the World editors Andy Coulson and Rebekah Brooks are the most prominent defendants to go on trial at the Old Bailey on charges of phone hacking and making illegal payments to officials. The trial lasted eight months and resulted in Coulson being sentenced to 18 months in prison but the acquittal of Brooks.
December 2015
England’s chief prosecutor says no more criminal cases will be brought against Murdoch’s News Group and rival Mirror Group Newspapers.
2019
Prince Harry launches lawsuits against Murdoch’s News Group Newsletters (NGN), the Mirror Group and Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers, claiming stories about his schooldays, teenage japes and former relationships were obtained illegally.
February 2021
Meghan Markle wins invasion of privacy lawsuit against Associated Newspapers over the publication of a letter she wrote to her estranged father in 2018.
June 2023
In his case against Mirror Group, Prince Harry became the first member of the British royal family since Prince Albert Edward (who would become King Edward VII) in 1891 to appear as a witness in court.
December 2023
Harry wins his case against Mirror Group but later says: “Our mission continues.”
January 2025
Prince Harry’s five-year-lawsuit against The Sun is over before it begins as the Duke, alongside fellow litigant Lord Tom Watson, reaches a shock settlement with publisher NGN agreeing to pay “substantial damages”.
January 2026
Harry’s group action against Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers over unlawful information gathering begins at the High Court in London.
A source close to the Duke of Sussex’s claim said ahead of his appearance in the witness box: “ANL, publishers of the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and MailOnline, and their legal team, have had months to inform the court that their opening argument would last less than two hours, instead, they have had to resort to game playing and dirty tricks – consistent with the way they have treated not just the Duke but all of the victims in this case.”
The source continued: “They think that by pulling the schedule forward 24 hours they are giving Prince Harry less time to prepare – he’s been preparing for this moment for the last three years. Safe to say, he’s ready.”
The trial is due to conclude in March, with a judgment due in writing at a later date.
Harry is joined in his cast against ANL by Sir Elton John, his husband David Furnish, campaigner Baroness Doreen Lawrence, politician Sir Simon Hughes and actresses Sadie Frost and Elizabeth Hurley.
© Getty ImagesThe group claims that the publisher carried out or commissioned unlawful activities such as hiring private investigators to place listening devices inside cars, “blagging” private records and accessing private phone conversations.
ANL, which also publishes the Mail on Sunday, has vehemently denied the allegations.
