Prince Harry links legal action to media harassment of Meghan Markle

Prince Harry disclosed in his High Court witness statement that he felt compelled to act on behalf of Meghan Markle due to the relentless media hostility she faced.

The Duke of Sussex reported that he became increasingly troubled by the lack of pushback against the press's behaviour after his romance with Meghan became public knowledge in late 2016.

He characterised the media treatment as "vicious persistent attacks on, harassment of and intrusive, sometimes racist articles concerning Meghan."

This statement is part of Harry's ongoing legal case against Associated Newspapers Limited, which publishes the Daily Mail.

The Duke explained that the Royal Family's traditional stance of "never complain, never explain" effectively restricted his ability to refute press coverage while he was still part of the institution.

Harry noted he would not have been able to contest the articles at the centre of his claim "because of the institution I was in."

He further mentioned that this policy left him without alternatives, explaining to the court: "There was no alternative; I was conditioned to accept it."

The prince acknowledged that while he mostly tolerated the media's interest in his public duties, the way Meghan was treated marked a turning point for him.

Harry traced his complicated relationship with the media back to the tragic passing of his mother, Princess Diana, in 1997, when he was just 12 years old.

The Duke of Sussex explained: "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."

Harry mentioned things worsened as their family expanded, adding: "The situation got worse when she (Meghan) became pregnant and after our son, Archie, was born."

Harry stated: "This was the first time I had my own legal representation outside of the Institution. Until that point, this had never occurred to me to be a possibility."

The prince claimed he was unaware he could pursue ANL when he initiated other suits, saying he would have acted sooner given the publisher's handling of Meghan.