Prince Harry testified in London's High Court on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, accusing U.K. tabloids of making his wife, Meghan Markle's, life "an absolute misery". The Duke of Sussex, 41, appeared emotional as he concluded his nearly two-hour testimony against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday.

Prince Harry is one of seven high-profile individuals, including Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley, suing Associated Newspapers for alleged unlawful information gathering. The claimants accuse the publisher of using illegal methods, such as phone tapping and voicemail interception, to produce stories. Associated Newspapers has denied the allegations, asserting that its journalists relied on lawful reporting methods and that the claims were filed too late. The trial is expected to last nine weeks.

Addressing the judge, Prince Harry's voice broke as he spoke about the toll the case and surrounding coverage have taken on his family. He stated that taking a stand against the tabloids has resulted in them continuing to target him. He added, "They have made my wife's life an absolute misery, my Lord".

Prince Harry's testimony focused on 14 articles published between 2001 and 2013, which he said caused significant distress and lacked public interest justification. He explained that as a working royal, he felt unable to challenge the coverage due to the royal principle of "never complain, never explain".

During cross-examination, the publisher's lawyers suggested that some information in the articles could have come from Prince Harry's social circle rather than illegal activity. He firmly rejected this claim, stating that he was not friends with journalists and would not have shared such private details.

Prince Harry stated he felt compelled to take legal action after what he described as "vicious" and "sometimes racist" coverage of Markle following the start of their relationship in 2016. Written evidence from Prince Harry was presented at the trial, in which he elaborated on his decision to handle the situation in court. "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 reportedly said.

He described the legal battle as a "recurring traumatic experience". He said he pursued the case to seek accountability, not only for himself but for others impacted by tabloid practices. He has previously won legal actions against other British tabloids, resulting in apologies, damages, and admissions of wrongdoing.

When asked about the impact of the press coverage during the years-long legal fight, Prince Harry said the situation had only intensified. "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".