Prince Harry is back at London’s High Court, showing support for fellow claimants in a case accusing the publisher of the Daily Mail of using unlawful tactics to gather private information.
The Duke of Sussex, 41, attended proceedings on Jan. 22, the day actress Elizabeth Hurley gave evidence. Hurley, 60, arrived at court with her son, Damian, 23, by her side.
Harry’s appearance came one day after he spent nearly two hours in the witness box, answering questions about his claims against Associated Newspapers, which publishes the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday. Other claimants in the case include Elton John and his husband David Furnish, as well as Sadie Frost, the ex-wife of Jude Law. Together, they allege that Associated Newspapers used unlawful methods to obtain information.
On Jan. 22, Harry sat in Court 76 as Hurley took the witness stand shortly after 10:30 a.m. local time. After swearing an oath on a Bible to tell “the whole truth,” she faced questioning from Associated Newspapers’ lawyer, Antony White.
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During her testimony, Hurley was asked why she did not complain at the time about the 15 articles included in her claim, published between 2002 and 2011. She responded that she hadn’t raised complaints because, in her view, the stories were essentially true. “I believe it’s because people were listening to me speak,” she added.
Midway through her evidence, Hurley became visibly emotional after being shown several articles, including coverage connected to her late former partner Steve Bing, the father of her son. She paused, tearful, and said she would never publicly say anything she “didn’t want my son to read.” Asked if she wanted to take a break, she declined. Moments later, her voice shaking, she described the period as “a pretty traumatic time.”
Harry had been expected in court on Thursday, as his original testimony date was scheduled then. But the timetable shifted after Antony White delivered an opening statement that was shorter than anticipated, prompting criticism from people close to Harry’s legal team.
Hurley’s testimony was moved up to Jan. 22.
Harry’s own testimony concluded on Jan. 21 on an emotional note. Asked how the process had been, he said the newspapers continued to target him and his wife, Meghan Markle, and that the coverage had made her life “an absolute misery.”
Turning toward the judge, Harry’s voice broke as he described the toll the case has taken.
“By standing up here and taking a stand against them, this has continued to come after me,” he said, his voice cracking. “And they have made my wife’s life an absolute misery, my Lord.”
He added that the litigation had intensified the pressure rather than eased it. “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.”
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Around 30 minutes after the hearing, Harry left the building in central London in a noticeably lighter mood, smiling and briefly acknowledging well-wishers and photographers with a small wave.
In his witness statement, Harry said he felt compelled to pursue legal action after what he described as “vicious” and “sometimes racist” coverage of Meghan, 44, following the start of their relationship in 2016.
This marks Harry’s third—and final—legal battle against British publications. Last year, he reached a surprise settlement with the publisher of The Sun, which paid an eight-figure sum in damages and issued an apology acknowledging unlawful actions. The settlement followed his long-running case against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), in which he was awarded damages and the publishers paid around $500,000 toward his legal fees.
