Prince Harry is returning to the UK to stand trial for defrauding the tabloids

London – Prince Harry was back in London on Monday, sitting at the UK’s highest court to take part in his third and final appearance. legal battles against British newspapers.

Harry is among the top plaintiffs, along with Sir Elton John and actresses Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost, who have accused the Associated Newspapers group of “illegal information gathering.”

The 41-year-old King, who lives in California, and his celebrity colleagues say the company, which publishes the Daily Mail and a website linked to MailOnline, blackmailed them by hiring private investigators to hack into their phones, bug their cars and access private records to commit crimes.

The publisher denied all the accusations, calling them “nonsensical smears” and part of a concerted effort driven by the disinterest of media plaintiffs.

In a witness statement seen by CBS News, Harry said, “It’s disturbing to hear that my every move, thought or feeling was being followed and watched so that the Mail could make money from it,” adding that the “horrific” intrusion had left him, “unbelievably confused, alienated.”

Harry, Duke of Sussex, whose case is based on 14 separate newspaper stories, says the illegal data collection between 1993 and 2011 put “tremendous strain” on his relationship. He has long criticized the media for the death of his mother, Princess Diana, who died in a car accident in 1997 as her car was being chased by photographers on motorbikes.

He heard in court on Monday as his lawyer said there was, “a clear, systematic and ongoing collection of illegal information from the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday.”

Testimony from several private investigators, who say they work for Associated Newspapers, will be used in the trial. BBC News’ partner CBS News reported on Monday that Harry was expected to take the stand in person to give evidence.

During his first legal battle with the media, in 2019, against the owners of The Mirror for hacking his phone, Harry became the first senior member of the royal family to testify in person in a British court in more than 130 years. The courts ruled in his favor many times in that case.

“The journalists who used me and the editors who approved this knew full well that I was a ‘Dark Arts’ worker,” said private investigator Steve Whittamore in a witness statement before the trial that began on Monday. “If the information the journalists requested could be obtained legally … the newspapers would have no need to use some of my works.”

Another witness, known as “Detective Danno,” says he was paid the equivalent of $1 million by the Mail for more than 20 years of work on the paper.

The publisher argued that evidence from private investigators could not be trusted.

Royah Nikkhah, royal editor of the Sunday Times and a contributor to CBS News, said Monday that Prince William appeared “full of confidence” about his case, but “really doesn’t relish the prospect of being in court for a week.”

Last year, Rupert Murdoch’s right-leaning News Group Newspapers stayed out of court and king, asking for a full apology for the “massive intervention” and a multibillion-dollar settlement.

The case against Associated Newspapers is expected to drag on for nine weeks, which will conclude with the decision of Judge Matthew Nicklin, whose decision will determine not only the lasting reputation of the major media company, but also who foots the bill of ten million dollars in legal fees.

“If Harry wins this case, it will give him the feeling … that he wasn’t always confused,” Nikkhah told CBS News. “If Harry loses this case, it’s a big risk for him, not just in terms of costs, but in terms of pushing all the way to court and not wanting to settle. So we have to wait and see, but it’s a big risk for Harry.”