Prince Harry seemed to choke up after a court grilling in which he accepted he has no specific evidence to support his fear his phone messages were unlawfully intercepted daily.
He struggled to contain his emotions after cross-examination over two days in his case alleging the Daily and Sunday Mirror and Sunday People used unlawful methods to obtain information about him.
When his barrister asked how it felt to undergo the questioning, the Duke of Sussex, 38, said at the High Court: “It’s a lot.” MGN barrister Andrew Green asked if he thought his phone messages were consistently intercepted unlawfully from 1996 to 2010, the period covered in the case.
Harry said: “It could have been on a daily basis, I don’t know.”
Mr Green asked if he knew of any evidence to support this.
Harry replied: “No, that’s the… reason I am here.”
He repeatedly said “I don’t know” when pressed for details on stories he is complaining about. He is suing MGN for damages, claiming about 140 articles – with 33 being considered at the trial – had details gathered via unlawful methods.
His claim is being heard alongside those of three others.
MGN has apologised to Harry for one instance of using a private investigator to get information but insists other stories were obtained from friends, aides, palace statements or were already in the public domain.
An MGN spokesman said: “Where historical wrongdoing has taken place, we have made admissions, take full responsibility and apologise unreservedly, but we will vigorously defend against allegations of wrongdoing where our journalists acted lawfully.
“MGN is now part of a very different company. We are committed to acting with integrity and our objective is to allow the business and our journalists to move forward from events that took place many years ago.”
The trial in central London continues.
