Prince Harry, on the Verge of Tears, Says U.K. Tabloids Are Making Meghan Markle's Life 'an Absolute Misery' Simon Perry, Janine HenniJanuary 22, 2026 at 12:13 AM 0 Peter Nicholls/Getty; Craig Barritt/Getty Prince Harry on Jan. 21, 2026 at High Court in London; Meghan Markle in 2025 Prince Harry ended his High Court testimony on an emotional note, his voice breaking as he addressed the judge in his case against Associated Newspapers The Duke of Sussex, 41, took the stand on Jan.
- - Prince Harry, on the Verge of Tears, Says U.K. Tabloids Are Making Meghan Markle's Life 'an Absolute Misery'
Simon Perry, Janine HenniJanuary 22, 2026 at 12:13 AM
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Peter Nicholls/Getty; Craig Barritt/Getty
Prince Harry on Jan. 21, 2026 at High Court in London; Meghan Markle in 2025 -
Prince Harry ended his High Court testimony on an emotional note, his voice breaking as he addressed the judge in his case against Associated Newspapers
The Duke of Sussex, 41, took the stand on Jan. 21 in his trial against the publisher of the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday
Harry said the tabloids he is suing are making his wife, Meghan Markle's life an "absolute misery"
Prince Harry ended his nearly two-hour testimony in London's High Court on an emotional note, his voice breaking as he accused the U.K. tabloids he is suing of continuing to target him — and, he said, making his wife Meghan Markle's life "an absolute misery."
On Wednesday, Jan. 21, the Duke of Sussex, 41, finished giving evidence in his lawsuit against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday. Turning toward the judge, Harry's voice broke as he spoke about the toll the case — and the coverage surrounding it — has taken on his family.
"By standing up here and taking a stand against them, this has continued to come after me," Harry said, his voice cracking with emotion. "And they have made my wife's life an absolute misery, my Lord."
Asked earlier about the impact of the press coverage during the years-long legal fight, Harry said the situation had only intensified. "Through the course of this litigation, it's only got worse, not better," he told the court. "It's fundamentally wrong to put all of us through all of this again. What's required is an apology and some accountability. It's a horrible experience."
PEOPLE was inside the courtroom as Harry appeared on the verge of tears while concluding his evidence, pausing as he addressed the judge and spoke about the personal cost of pursuing the case.
Alamy
Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Prince Harry giving evidence on Jan. 21, 2026
Harry is one of seven high-profile claimants — including Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley — suing Associated Newspapers over allegations of unlawful information gathering, claims the publisher has strongly denied. The case marks Harry's final active lawsuit against the British press, capping years of litigation over tabloid practices.
In his witness statement, seen by PEOPLE, Harry said he felt compelled to take legal action after what he described as "vicious" and "sometimes racist" coverage of Meghan following the start of their relationship in 2016.
Karwai Tang/WireImage
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in Vancouver in Feb. 2025
"However, in late 2016, when my relationship with Meghan, my now wife, became public, I started to become increasingly 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. The situation got worse when she became pregnant and after our son, Archie, was born," he said, referring to their son Prince Archie, now 6.
Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty
Prince Harry arrives at High Court in London on Jan. 21, 2026
The emotional testimony comes a year after Harry reached a surprise settlement with the publisher of The Sun, which paid an eight-figure sum in damages and issued an unprecedented apology acknowledging unlawful actions.
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Harry traveled from his California home earlier this week for the start of what is expected to be a nine-week trial in London — a case he has described as part of a long-running effort to seek accountability from the British press.
on People
Source: "AOL Entertainment"
Source: Entertainment
Published: January 21, 2026 at 07:10PM on Source: RED MAG
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