Prince Harry Gives Emotional Testimony About Effects of U.K. News Coverage

Harry said in court that reading articles about him published by Associated Newspapers, which he has accused of acting unlawfully, had been “traumatic.”

Prince Harry became visibly emotional on Wednesday as he testified in London’s High Court about the effects of what he called intrusive news coverage on his life and that of his wife, Meghan Markle.

Harry was giving evidence in his case against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the British tabloids The Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday. He and six other high-profile figures, including Elton John, have accused the company of phone hacking, obtaining personal records through deception and other forms of unlawful information gathering.

Associated Newspapers has denied all the accusations, saying its articles about Harry were the result of legitimate journalistic work and the prince’s “leaky” social circles.

Asked by his lawyer about how he felt about the company, Harry said that his yearslong legal battle with it had been a “horrible experience.”

“They continue coming after me, they have made my wife’s life an absolute misery,” he said, his voice cracking.

The articles at the center of the case, published between 2001 and 2013, reported intimate details of Harry’s romantic relationships, his social activities and his feelings about his mother’s death. He said reading them had been a “recurring traumatic experience.”

He accused the news media of “commercializing” his life since his childhood and “delving into every single aspect of my private life.”

Harry is the first well-known figure in the case to give evidence in the trial, which is scheduled to last more than two months.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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