Breaking News: Prince Harry makes brutal dig at Royal Family just minutes into giving evidence

Breaking News: Prince Harry makes brutal dig at Royal Family just minutes into giving evidence

Prince Harry is giving evidence in the case against the publishers of the Daily Mail today, and took tothe witness box at 11:30am. The Duke of Sussex is one of a number of high-profile figures, including Sir Elton John and Liz Hurley, bringing a legal action against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over allegations of unlawful information gathering.

This includes claims that information for articles was obtained by carrying out or commissioning unlawful activities such as phone tapping and “blagging” private records. ANL has strongly denied wrongdoing and is defending the claims. In his witness statement, Harry told the court that this case is about holding “to account” the journalists, executives and editors who he alleges have used unlawful information gathering against him.

During his evidence today Harry told the court that he was unable to make any complaints while being part of “the institution”, in reference to the Royal Family, and repeated the well-used phrase: “Never complain, never explain.

ANL’s testimony ‘collapsed’, says Harry’s team
A spokesman for Prince Harry said: “Today’s 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 two hours and avoiding 10 of his 14 articles entirely.”

Prince Harry issues statement
Prince Harry has issued a short statement after giving evidence to the High Court today.

Speaking after taking to the witness box in his claim against the publishers of the Daily Mail, Harry said: “Today we reminded the Mail Group who is on trial and why.”

‘It’s fundamentally wrong’
Harry spent around two-and-a-half hours answering questions from ANL’s barrister on Wednesday, before he was asked how the proceedings had made him feel by his barrister David Sherborne.

The duke said: “It’s fundamentally wrong to put us through this again when all we wanted was an apology and accountability. It’s a horrible experience.

Harry’s closing remarks
Concluding his evidence in the trial of his legal action against Associated Newspapers Limited, the Duke of Sussex said: “It is a company, and it is a company first, and having my life commercialised in this way since I was a teenager, delving into every single aspect of my private life, listening into calls… blagging flights, so that they could find out where I am going, it was a time when everyone was in competition with each other and now they are all in cahoots with each other.”

Harry told the court: “Having them claim that I don’t have any right to privacy is disgusting.”

He continued: “Through the course of this litigation, it’s only got worse, not better.

“I think it is fundamentally wrong to have to put all of us through this again, when all we were asking for is an apology and some accountability.”

Harry’s final testimony
Harry concluded his testimony by telling the court that his life has been “open season” to be commercialised – saying it has been this way since he was a teenager.

“Every aspect” of my personal life has been delved into, he said.

He adds that having to sit in court and “have them claim I don’t have any right to privacy is disgusting”.

Getting emotional, he said it’s been a “horrible experience”.

Harry on verge of tears
Prince Harry was overcome with emotion as he spoke about his wife when wrapping up his evidence to the High Court this afternoon.

The Duke of Sussex, who is one of seven high-profile individuals bringing legal action against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over allegations of unlawful information gathering, was on the brink of tears as he described the effects of ANL’s coverage on his wife, Meghan Markle.

“They have made my wife’s life an absolute misery, my Lord,” he said.

Harry says his relationships ‘not in public interest’
Court is back in session, with White asking Harry if there was media interest in his relationships.

He said he was “pinned” to a lot of women, though he wasn’t necessarily in a relationship with them.

The duke went on to say that articles about his romantic life were not “in the public interest”.

‘Chelsy felt hunted’, Harry says
In his written statement, Harry discussed the period of time that he was dating Chelsy Davy, writing at some length of the distress caused by being persued by the media.

“If someone was dating me, they might assume that they would be photographed coming out of a restaurant or a concert but you would never expect to experience full-blown harassment,” he said.

Continuing, Harry wrote: “This sort of intrusion was terrifying for Chelsy: it made her feel like she was being hunted and the press had caught her and it was terrifying for me too because therewas nothing I could do to stop it and now she was in my world.

“She was ‘shaken’ and I was really paranoid about trying to protect our privacy, as the article says.

“Their behaviour and treatment of Chelsy was not normal. I was really worried something bad was going to happen

Court breaks for lunch
After lawyers spent just over an hour questioning Prince Harry, the judge has adjourned for lunch.

It is expected to recommence at 2pm.

Harry given second reprimand
Judge Nicklin once again gently reminds Harry he does not need to argue his case here – it’s for his lawyer to do so later.

But the duke says he is not speaking out because he feels “pressure” to do so. He says he feels ANL has done a “good job” of “stripping out” colour from the points they are making, and so he wants to add context.

It’s key, he says, “when you’re under 24 hour surveillance”.

Harry claims ‘voicemails were hacked’
There “would be a lot more out there” if three people who the Duke of Sussex described as some of his “closest friends” had decided to speak to the press, the High Court heard this afternoon.

White suggested to Harry that comments from the duke of him talking about being in love with Chelsy Davy while at a campfire in Botswana could only have become known to Mail journalists if someone had told them.

Harry said the information was more likely picked up when he “talked about it on a voicemail” or other communication.

He added: “The quote is being attributed to three strangers. You are now trying to suggest that these three strangers are some of my closest friends. That does not add up.”

He continued: “These three people have never shared anything with anybody. If they had, there would be a lot more out there.”

Harry cut ties with friends over fear of leaks
Prince Harry firmly denies that any member of his social circle were “leaky”, as White suggests in his questioning.

He says that the extent of articles containing personal information meant he had trouble trusting people, saying any time he was “suspicious” he would “cut communication”.

The duke says he has “lost touch” with friends because of it.

Harry accuses press of trying to ‘drive me to drugs’
Elsewhere in Harry’s written testimony, the duke said the private information attributed to friends and sources led him to suspect those close to him of leaking personal details.

He says that in 2005 when he was with Chelsy Davy, an article included information “that goes into an extraordinary level of detail” and made him feel he was “part of an endless pursuit, a campaign, an obsession of having every aspect of my life under surveillance”.

He said these articles drove him “paranoid beyond belief” and that the papers wanted to “drive me to drugs and drinking to sell more of their papers”.

Prince Harry repeats claim he couldn’t complain
White asks Harry why he didn’t complain about an article headlined ‘Rugby girl who won Harry’s heart’ – which is not one of the 14 articles the duke has put forward in this case.

Harry again tells the court that he not “allowed to complain” at the time of articles such as this one being published.

He refutes that his friend, Sky Sports F1 presenter Natalie Pinkham, was the source of the story and believes that the use of “sources” were often used as a “cover” to “make up” quotes.

The barrister asks again why he did not complain at the time the article was published, with Harry saying that he “made it clear” as to why no complaint was made.

He said that in his experience, complaining “doesn’t end well… normally it gets worse”.

Harry gets a telling off
The judge was forced to intervene while Harry was giving his evidence, reminding the duke that he is there to answer questions – not to argue with the lawyer.

“You don’t have to bear the burden” of arguing the case, the judge tells him.