**Prince Harry Denies 'Leaky' Friends Fed Mail Stories**
Prince Harry appeared emotional as he concluded his evidence at the High Court in his trial against the publisher of the Daily Mail, describing how the newspaper's actions had made his wife Meghan Markle's life "an absolute misery".
The duke, along with six others including Elton John and campaigner Doreen Lawrence, are suing Associated Newspapers (ANL) for violating their privacy through unlawful information gathering. The allegations include claims of phone tapping, "blagging" private records, and hacking voicemail messages.
During his two-and-a-half-hour testimony, Harry repeatedly denied suggestions that his social circle was the source of stories for the Daily Mail. He described his relationship with the newspaper's journalists as one of necessity rather than friendship.
"For the avoidance of doubt, I am not friends with any of these journalists and I never have been," Harry said in a tense exchange with ANL's lawyer Antony White. "My social circles were not leaky. I want to make that absolutely clear."
The prince's case centers around 14 articles his legal team claims were the product of unlawful information gathering, including by hacking voicemail messages and bugging landlines. Harry expressed frustration at the notion that a former royal editor, Katie Nicholl, was part of his social group.
"If the sources were so good and she was hanging out with all my friends, then why was she using private investigators who have been connected to all the unlawful information gathering?" he asked.
Harry's testimony comes as part of a larger lawsuit against ANL, which also publishes the Mail on Sunday. The prince has long blamed the press for his mother Princess Diana's death in 1997 and has sought accountability from those responsible.
"It's fundamentally wrong to put us through this again when all we wanted was an apology and accountability," Harry said, visibly emotional as he referred to his wife. "They continue to come after me... my Lord."
The trial is the latest chapter in Prince Harry's long-standing battle with tabloids. He has previously won an apology from Rupert Murdoch's British newspaper arm and is now seeking justice against ANL. The case centers on a systematic and sustained use of unlawful information gathering, according to Harry's lawyer David Sherborne.
Harry's testimony was met with a mixture of emotions as he spoke candidly about the impact of tabloid culture on his life. Outside court, he smiled briefly before reentering the witness box, determined to make his point heard.
**Key Takeaways:**
* Prince Harry denies that his social circle is the source of stories for the Daily Mail * The prince's case centers around 14 articles alleged to have been obtained through unlawful information gathering * Harry describes how the newspaper's actions have made his wife's life "an absolute misery" * The trial is part of a larger lawsuit against ANL, which also publishes the Mail on Sunday
**Related Coverage:**
* Prince Harry's previous lawsuits against the press * The impact of tabloid culture on celebrities and their families * The ongoing trial against Associated Newspapers (ANL)