An emotional Prince Harry was on the brink of tears in the witness box at London's High Court while testifying in an ongoing trial against Daily Mail.
The prince is one of a number of high-profile figures, including Sir Elton John, who is seeking legal action against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over allegations of unlawful information gathering.
On Wednesday, January 21, the Duke of Sussex said that he always had an "uneasy relationship" with the press following his mother, Princess Diana death in 1997; however, "as a member of the Institution, the policy was to 'never complain, never explain.'"
"There was no alternative; I was conditioned to accept it,” said the witness statement, obtained by BBC.
Prince Harry moves to tear while mentioning Meghan Markle
In his witness statement, Harry revealed that the need to take action became clear after his relationship with his now-wife, Meghan Markle, became public.
He added that he was 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."
Harry, who married the Duchess of Sussex in 2018, was then grilled in the witness box on Wednesday morning by Antony White, the barrister representing ANL.
According to the BBC, much of the pair's exchange was "tetchy."
Harry was on the brink of tears as he described the effects of ANL's coverage on his wife, Meghan Markle, adding, "They have made my wife's life an absolute misery, my Lord."
Among other things, the Duke accuses journalists of "inventing quotes for the narrative," threatening his personal security and stalking him to get stories.
"They turned up everywhere. It felt like full-blown stalking and constant surveillance," Harry told the court, adding that Mail on Sunday staff would "turn up at places where no one could possibly know where I was."
Prince Harry told off by the judge
Prince Harry was interrupted twice by the judge to be told it is not his job to argue with White but to respond to questions.
"You don't have to bear the burden" of arguing the case, the judge reportedly said.
Throughout the course of his legal battles with the press, Prince Harry added that "it's only got worse, not better" for him in life.
The duke said that his only demand is an apology and accountability.
Prince Harry concluding his testimony
Concluding his testimony, Harry said, his life was "commercialised" since his teen's years, claiming the press listened to his calls and blagged his flights to know his whereabouts.
"To sit here and go through this all over again and have them give their own defence and claim that I don't have any right to any privacy is disgusting," said Prince Harry before he left the witness box.
Prince Harry reportedly spent around two-and-a-half hours answering questions from ANL's barrister.
