What has Prince Harry said in court during witness testimony and what was the witness statement?

Much of the world’s attention has been focused on the High Court in London this week as Prince Harry took to the stand as a witness in his lawsuit against the Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN). The publisher of British tabloid the Daily Mirror, as well as the Sunday Mirror and Sunday People, has been accused of phone-hacking among other unlawful acts.

It’s worth noting that MGN has already admitted to the involvement in phone-hacking, but said there was no evidence that Harry had ever been a victim.

Prince Harry courtroom quotes: “utterly vile”

We are now two weeks into what is expected to be a seven-week trial and King Charles III’s second son is involved directly in the first few days of this week, giving evidence in court on Tuesday and Wednesday, following a 55-page written witness statement. The Duke of Sussex is being cross-examined by MGN’s lawyers and below we pick out some of the key quotes so far from both the written statement (WS) and from within the court (C), and will update as more arise.

“It’s only now, realising what the defendant’s [MGN’s] journalists were doing, and how they were getting their information, that I can see how much of my life was wasted on this paranoia. I’ve always heard people refer to my mother as paranoid, but she wasn’t. She was fearful of what was actually happening to her and now I know that I was the same.” (WS)

“In my experience as a member of the Royal Family, each of us gets cast into a specific role by the tabloid press.” (WS)

“It was a downward spiral, whereby the tabloids would constantly try and coax me, a ‘damaged’ young man, into doing something stupid that would make a good story and sell lots of newspapers. Looking back on it now, such behaviour on their part is utterly vile.” (WS)

[On suggestion that his allegation that an article on him breaking his thumb as a teenager was from phone hacking or other unlawful information gathering was ‘in the realms of total speculation’] “That kind of stuff instills a kind of paranoia for a young man at school where he has to go to the medical centre and can’t now trust the doctors”. (C)

“I have never been the named account holder for any mobile that I have had and have almost never received a phone bill. As far as I was aware, this was all dealt with by the Institution, presumably for security purposes although that now seems rather ironic.” (WS)

Blood on hands, girlfriends and Piers Morgan

“Some of the editors and journalists that are responsible for causing a lot of pain, upset and in some cases - perhaps inadvertently - death.” [Response to justifying witness statement on the British press, in which he said, “How much more blood will stain their typing fingers before someone can put a stop to this madness?”]

“On a national level as, at the moment, our country is judged globally by the state of our press and our government – both of which I believe are at rock bottom. I may not have a role within the Institution but, as a member of the British Royal family, and as a soldier upholding important values, I feel there’s a responsibility to expose this criminal activity in the name of public interest.” (WS)

“At no point did I have a girlfriend or a relationship with anyone without the tabloids getting involved and ultimately trying to ruin it using whatever unlawful means at their disposal.” (WS)

“The thought of Piers Morgan [who denies any involvement in unlawful behaviour] and his band of journalists earwigging into my mother’s private and sensitive messages (in the same way as they have me) and then having given her a ‘nightmare time’ three months prior to her death in Paris, makes me feel physically sick and even more determined to hold those responsible, including Mr Morgan, accountable for their vile and entirely unjustified behaviour.”

“Unfortunately, as a consequence of me bringing my Mirror Group claim, both myself and my wife have been subjected to a barrage of horrific personal attacks and intimidation from Piers Morgan ... presumably in retaliation and in the hope that I will back down.” (WS)