The Duke of Sussex lashed out at Britain’s “rock bottom” government and struggled to prove his phone-hacking claims in a landmark court appearance.
The Duke, 38, became the first senior royal in more than 130 years to appear in the witness box as he gave evidence in his case against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN).
He is suing the publisher over 148 articles he alleges came from illegal activity, including phone-hacking.
The Duke used his 55-page witness statement to break with royal convention and make an extraordinary intervention into politics.
“Our country is judged globally by the state of our press and our government – both of which I believe are at rock bottom,” he said.
“Democracy fails when your press fails to scrutinise and hold the Government accountable, and instead choose to get into bed with them so they can ensure the status quo.”
Under intense pressure during a gruelling five-hour cross-examination by Andrew Green KC, for the Mirror, at the Rolls Building of the High Court in London, he admitted that his own book, Spare, contradicted one of his claims.
The Duke was also forced to concede that he had no idea how the Mirror journalists had obtained their stories, that he had “little to go on” and that he had not even read some of the articles that he alleged had caused him distress.
He admitted he was unaware that much of the information in the offending articles had already been published in rival newspapers and agreed that he could “see the similarities” between many of the stories.
Asked repeatedly what evidence he could offer to back up his phone-hacking claims, the Duke struggled to answer, insisting that such questions should be directed to the journalists who wrote the stories or even his own legal team.
“Are we not, Prince Harry, in the realms of total speculation?” asked Mr Green.
“You are the one who is bringing the claim so it’s perfectly legitimate to ask you.”
The Duke will return to court to face further questioning on Wednesday.
His UK visit is the first since last month’s Coronation, although it is unclear whether he will see any members of his family.
The King returned to London on Tuesday from a short, private break in Romania but is not expected to meet his younger son.
In his witness statement, the Duke revealed that he had spent years believing that the “numerous” stories focused on a rumour that James Hewitt, an Army Major, was his biological father, were designed to “oust” him from the Royal family.
One of the stories the Duke has complained about concerned a private disagreement between the Duke and Prince William about whether they should meet up with Paul Burrell, their late mother’s former butler, in December 2003.
The Duke stated in court documents that he did not want to meet Mr Burrell, sparking a row with his brother.
But Mr Green asked about a discrepancy between his evidence and an account in his memoir Spare, published in January, in which he said he wanted to fly home from his gap year job in Australia to meet Mr Burrell.
“There is no suggestion in Spare that you were firmly against a meeting,” said Mr Green.
The Duke replied: “No, because I wrote it when I was 38 years old and in this story I was 18.
“I assume I would have wanted a meeting.”
Pressed again by Mr Green about the “true position”, he eventually conceded: “I honestly can’t remember whether I wanted a meeting or not.”
In one of his most outspoken claims from his witness statement, the Duke suggested that tabloid journalists had “blood” on their hands.
He also revealed that he had come to realise his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, was not paranoid but “fearful of what was actually happening to her”.
The Duke told the court he would call his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, on FaceTime on Tuesday evening as Mr Justice Fancourt said he could not discuss his evidence with anyone overnight.
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2023-06-06 20:50:00Z
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