Prince Harry Accuses Tabloids of 'Inciting Hatred' as He Testifies in Phone-Hacking Trial

Prince Harry accused U.K. tabloids of "inciting hatred" and said they made him feel like there was always a "third party involved" in every relationship in his life. Harry submitted a written witness statement on Tuesday before he took the stand in London's High Court to give evidence against the publishers of the Daily Mirror. The Duke of Sussex and other celebrities accused Mirror Group Newspapers of illegally obtaining information through phone hacking.

In the 55-page witness statement (available to read in full here), Harry wrote that he and his wife, Meghan Markle, "reluctantly decided" to step down from their full-time Royal Family duties, blaming the tabloid press for their hounding. "This was due to the constant intrusion, inciting of hatred and harassment by the tabloid press into every aspect of our private lives, which had a devastating impact on our mental health and wellbeing," Harry wrote. "We were also very concerned for the security and safety" of their son Archie.

The prince, 38, went on to describe the tabloid press as a "third party involved" in "every relationship that I've ever had," including those with friends, girlfriends, family, and the Army. "Having seen me grow up from a baby (being born into this 'contractual relationship' without any choice) and scrutinized my every move, the tabloids have known the challenges and mental health struggles that I have had to deal with throughout my childhood and adult life and for them to then play on that and use it to their advantage, I think is, well, criminal," he wrote.

Elsewhere, Harry explained how the Royal Family members are "cast" into specific roles by the press. Harry claimed he was cast as the "thicko," the "cheat," the "underage drinker," and the "irresponsible drug taker." In his teens and early 20s, he felt he was "playing up" the roles the press assigned him. He thought "If they are printing this rubbish about me and people were believing it, I may as well 'do the crime', so to speak."

"It was a downward spiral, whereby the tabloids would constantly try and coax me, a 'damaged' young man, into doing something stupid that would make a good story and sell lots of newspapers. Looking back on it now, such behavior on their part is utterly vile," Harry wrote. He recalled how he would assume people thought he would fail any test "because he's a thicko."

Harry believes the phone hacking was known by those at the very top executive levels at Mirror Group. "The fact that it was not just the journalists who were carrying out the unlawful activity, but also those in power who were turning a blind eye to it so as to ensure that it would continue unabated – and who then tried to cover it up when the game was up – is appalling," Harry wrote. "The fact they're all ganging up to protect each other is the most disturbing part of all, especially as they're the mothership of online trolling."

"Trolls react and mobilize to stories they create. People have died as a result and people will continue to kill themselves by suicide when they can't see any other way out," he continued. "How much more blood will stain their typing fingers before someone can put a stop to this madness."

Harry's testimony on the stand made history as this is the first time a high-ranking member of the British royal family was a witness for a trial in 130 years, notes NBC News. He is expected to continue giving testimony on Wednesday and will be cross-examined. He was expected to attend the first day of the trial on Monday, but he missed it after celebrating his daughter Lilibet's birthday in California Sunday.