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Prince Harry fought back tears Wednesday while whining in a London court about the media spotlight making his publicity-hungry wife Meghan Markle’s life an “absolute misery” – as he denied hiding behind the moniker “Mr Mischief” to feed dirt to reporters.
The Duke of Sussex, 41, made the remarks as he took to the witness stand for roughly two hours in his privacy lawsuit against the Daily Mail and its sister Sunday newspaper.
“They have made my wife’s life an absolute misery,” said the choked-up prince, who has penned books and appeared in TV documentaries dishing his and his wife’s dirt on their stunning betrayal of his royal family.
Harry and six other prominent figures — including Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley — have accused the outlet’s publisher, Associated Newspapers Ltd., of hacking voicemail messages, bugging landlines, and obtaining private information by deception to obtain information for stories.
Harry, who became the first royal in 130 years to give evidence in court during another one of his lawsuits against the press, was combative at times as Associated’s lawyer, Antony White, argued the information in the articles had been legitimately obtained.
At one point, the younger son of King Charles rejected claims that he had been cozy with journalists who covered the royal family — or that his friends had dished dirt about him to the tabloids.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I am not friends with any of these journalists and I never have been,” he defiantly declared as he sought to explain what it was like living under what he described as “24-hour surveillance.”
“My social circles were not leaky. I want to make that absolutely clear.”
Striking a defensive tone, Harry shot down accusations he used an anonymous Facebook account under the name “Mr Mischief” to exchange messages with Mail On Sunday reporter Charlotte Griffiths.
He insisted that he “would have to cut contact” with anyone he grew suspicious of.
When White put it to Harry that a former royal editor of the Mail on Sunday, Katie Nicholl, was part of his social group, the prince replied: “If the sources were so good and she was hanging out with all my friends, then why was she using private investigators who have been connected to all the unlawful information gathering?”
He admitted he spoke to reporters and tried to be civil, but felt he had little choice despite feeling they had “commercialized my private life.”
“These are people we were forced to work with, you had to have some kind of relationship with them … knowing who they are, knowing full well the kind of stories they have written about me,” he testified.
After disputing that reporters used legitimate sources to publish revealing details of his life, the duke appeared to be on the brink of tears as he offered up a glimpse into the emotional toll that a life in the spotlight had taken on him.
“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 said as he took the stand wearing a dark suit.
“It is a horrible experience, and the worst of it is that by sitting up here and taking a stand against them … they continue to come after me.”
Associated Newspapers Ltd., for its part, has called the claims preposterous, saying that the roughly 50 articles in question were reported with legitimate sources – including close associates willing to spill on their famous friends.
The publisher is expected to name sources during the nine-week trial.
Harry’s case centers on 14 articles his legal team claims were the product of unlawful information gathering.
He has suggested that the details in the articles had come from eavesdropping on his phone calls or having private investigators snoop on him.
With Post wires
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