At a Glance
- Prince Harry’s voice cracked as he told a London judge the tabloids “made my wife’s life an absolute misery”
- The Duke of Sussex finished nearly two hours of testimony in his lawsuit against Associated Newspapers
- This marks his final active legal battle against the British press
- Why it matters: The case caps years of Harry’s litigation over alleged unlawful information gathering
Prince Harry ended his High Court testimony on Jan. 21, 2026, visibly emotional as he accused the publisher of the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday of relentlessly targeting his family.
Emotional Testimony Concludes
Turning toward the judge, the 41-year-old royal struggled to maintain composure. “By standing up here and taking a stand against them, this has continued to come after me,” Harry said, his voice breaking. “And they have made my wife’s life an absolute misery, my Lord.”
Ethan R. Coleman reported for News Of Los Angeles that Harry appeared on the verge of tears while concluding his evidence, pausing repeatedly as he spoke about the personal cost of pursuing the case.
The Duke told the court the media scrutiny has intensified throughout the litigation. “Through the course of this litigation, it’s only got worse, not better,” he testified. “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.”
Cross-Examination Details
Following the proceedings, a spokesperson for the Duke claimed the 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,” the spokesperson added.
Harry himself emphasized the trial’s focus: “Today we reminded the Mail Group who is on trial and why.”
The Lawsuit Background
Harry is one of seven high-profile claimants – including Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley – suing Associated Newspapers over allegations of unlawful information gathering. The publisher has strongly denied these claims.
In his witness statement, seen by News Of Los Angeles, Harry explained his decision to pursue legal action stemmed from coverage he described as “vicious” and “sometimes racist” after his relationship with Meghan became public 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 stated. “The situation got worse when she became pregnant and after our son, Archie, was born.”
Years of Legal Battles
This emotional testimony comes a year after Harry reached a surprise settlement with the publisher of The Sun, which paid an eight-figure sum in damages and issued an unprecedented apology acknowledging unlawful actions.
The current case marks Harry’s final active lawsuit against the British press, concluding years of litigation over tabloid practices.
Harry traveled from his California home for the start of what’s expected to be a nine-week trial in London. He has described the case as part of a long-running effort to seek accountability from the British press.
The Duke and Meghan’s son, Prince Archie, is now 6 years old. The couple also maintains a home in Vancouver, where they were photographed together in February 2025.
