Harry slams 'really disgusting' Daily Mail articles in court testimony

The Duke of Sussex arriving at the Royal Courts Of Justice (Jeff Moore/PA) Jeff Moore

Prince Harry has defended his inner circle in his High Court battle against the Daily Mail publisher, insisting his social circles were "not leaky." The Duke of Sussex testified Wednesday at the Royal Courts of Justice, asserting he was unable to complain about press coverage due to the royal institution's "never complain, never explain" policy.

Harry is suing Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) alongside six other claimants, including Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish, campaigner Baroness Doreen Lawrence, politician Sir Simon Hughes, and actresses Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley. They allege unlawful information gathering, including phone tapping and "blagging" private records. ANL has strongly denied wrongdoing and is defending the claims.

Defending His Circle

In his testimony, the 41-year-old duke stated: "My social circles were not leaky, I want to make that absolutely clear." He explained that when private information leaks, "[...] your circle of trust and knowledge decreases over time." He added that if he became suspicious of someone, "I would have to cut contact with this person."

The duke told the court it was "impossible to complain" about thousands of articles. Lawyer Antony White KC, representing ANL, suggested Harry believed information in the articles came from legitimate sources. Harry responded: "To a certain extent, but I would not have been able to complain about them anyway, because of the institution I was in."

He explained in his witness statement: "However, as a member of the institution, the institution's policy dictated 'never complain, never explain'." He added: "If you complain, they double down on you, in my experience."

Emotional Impact

Harry described specific articles in stark terms. One concerning confidential discussions after the Italian press published a photo of a dying Diana, Princess of Wales, was "beyond cruel." A July 2006 Daily Mail article about private discussions with his brother, the now-Prince of Wales, was "really disgusting."

Regarding articles about his former girlfriend Chelsy Davy, Harry said he was "really worried something bad was going to happen." In written evidence, he stated: "I was never suspicious of Chelsy in relation to stories like this, but I was of her friends. [...] But, at the same time, I would have felt like I had to accept this as the reality of my life."

King Charles Nearby But No Meeting

While Harry testified, King Charles attended a conservation reception at Lancaster House, just two miles away. The King and the duke will not meet. Charles adheres to the principle that a sovereign should steer clear of active legal proceedings.

David Sherborne, representing Harry and the group, stated on Tuesday that Harry feels he has "endured a sustained campaign of attacks against him" for having "had the temerity to stand up" to ANL. Harry's last UK visit in September marked his first reunion with Charles in 19 months.

Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).