Prince Harry Returns to Court in London Ahead of Testimony, Says Tabloid Intrusion Left Him 'Paranoid Beyond Belief'
- - Prince Harry Returns to Court in London Ahead of Testimony, Says Tabloid Intrusion Left Him 'Paranoid Beyond Belief'
Stephanie Petit, Simon PerryJanuary 20, 2026 at 7:33 AM
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Prince Harry arrives at the High Court in London on Tuesday, Jan. 20 -
Prince Harry returned to London's High Court for the second day in a row
The Duke of Sussex is one of several high-profile claimants accusing U.K. publisher Associated Newspapers of alleged illegal information gathering
Harry's spokesperson told PEOPLE he was "feeling confident and ready" going into the trial
Prince Harry is back in court.
The Duke of Sussex, 41, returned to London’s High Court on Tuesday, Jan. 20, for the second day in a row amid his lawsuit against the publishers of the Daily Mail.
Harry traveled to the U.K. from his home in California for the start of what is expected to be a nine-week trial. He and other high-profile figures — including Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley and Jude Law's ex-wife, Sadie Frost — are claimants in the litigation, which accuses Associated Newspapers of illegal information gathering. Harry is expected to take the stand to present evidence on Thursday, Jan. 22
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In written submissions, Harry’s attorney David Sherborne says the Duke of Sussex’s claims center on 14 articles published between 2001 and 2013, which he argues had a “profoundly distressing effect” on Harry, “creating distrust and suspicion” and leaving him “paranoid beyond belief” while also “isolating” him.
In addition to the impact on Harry, the written submission says the alleged reporting was also “terrifying” for loved ones and created a “massive strain” on his personal relationships. In a statement included in the filing, Prince Harry says, “I find it deeply troubling that Associated used phrases such as ‘sources,’ ‘friends’ and the like as a device to hide unlawful information gathering.”
Peter Nicholls/Getty
Prince Harry arrives at the High Court in London on Tuesday, Jan. 20
The lawsuit repeatedly references Harry’s former girlfriend Chelsy Davy, whom he dated on and off from 2004 to 2011, with many of the disputed articles focusing on their relationship, private communications and travels together, particularly during trips to South Africa. Harry argues that the level of detail published about their time together could only have come from unlawfully obtained private information and that the reporting caused significant strain on the relationship.
Associated Newspapers has “vigorously denied” the claims, according to the BBC.
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Prince Harry's spokesperson told PEOPLE he was "feeling confident and ready" going into the trial, which is the last in a string of lawsuits against U.K. publishers.
Peter Nicholls/Getty
Prince Harry arrives at the High Court in London on Tuesday, Jan. 20
“This is the culmination of what has been years of litigation,” a source tells PEOPLE, referring to Harry’s cases involving the publishers of The Sun, the Mirror newspapers and now Associated Newspapers. “He sees this as an injustice that needs to be righted."
“People often don’t have the means to stand up to the might of the British tabloid media," the source adds. "But he is a fortunate man in that he is a man of means and has the ability to do this, and he has the will and strength of character to take them on. He sees it in the sense that if he doesn’t do it, who will?”
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
