Prince Harry’s Emotional Testimony Claims Tabloids Have Made Meghan Markle’s Life an “Absolute Misery”

· Cosmopolitan
  • Prince Harry is suing Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday.
  • The Duke of Sussex appeared in the High Court on Wednesday, Jan. 21, to give testimony in his trial against the publisher.
  • His voice broke as he ended the testimony on an emotional note, claiming that the British tabloids have made his wife, Meghan Markle’s life “an absolute misery.”

Prince Harry isn’t holding back. The Duke of Sussex is suing Associated Newspapers (the publisher of the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday) for allegedly engaging in “systematic and sustained unlawful information gathering” that has greatly affected him and his wife, Meghan Markle.

He appeared in the High Court on Wednesday, January 21, to give testimony on the stand in his trial against ANL. Naturally, the subject became emotional for the former Royal, whose life has been documented in the press since he was a child. After presenting evidence to the judge, Harry’s voice broke as he admitted how much of a toll the trial—and all the media coverage surrounding it—has taken on his family’s life.

Kristina Bumphrey//Getty Images

“By standing up here and taking a stand against them, this has continued to come after me,” Harry explained, before adding, “And they have made my wife’s life an absolute misery, my Lord.”

Elsewhere during his testimony, the Duke described how intense the experience has been so far. “Through the course of this litigation, it’s only got worse, not better,” he told the court. “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.”

This marks Harry’s final active lawsuit against the British tabloids—but it’s important to note that Harry isn’t the only celeb suing the publisher. Stars like Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley, among others, are also taking legal action against them over allegations of unlawful information gathering.

People reports that during Harry’s witness statement, he admitted that he decided to take legal action after “vicious” and “sometimes racist” coverage of Meghan emerged after they started dating a decade ago.

“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,” he said, per the outlet. He added that “the situation got worse when she became pregnant and after our son, Archie, was born.”

After his appearance in the High Court, Harry is expected to take part in a nine-week trial against the publisher in London.