London: Prince Harry has accused Buckingham Palace in court documents of withholding information from him about phone-hacking and said he was exposing the alleged wrongdoing by tabloid “criminals” out of love for his country.

In a witness statement to London’s High Court where he and six other figures are suing Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail, over phone hacking and other privacy breaches, Harry again criticised the monarchy for its complicity with the tabloid press.

He said the institution had made it clear that members of the royal family did not appear in a court witness box as it “could open up a can of worms”.

In his statement, released to the media, he said he wanted to hold Associated accountable for “everyone’s sake”.

“The British public deserve to know the full extent of this cover-up and I feel it is my duty to expose it,” he said.

Harry, the younger son of King Charles III, began legal claims last year against Associated, along with singer Elton John and his husband David Furnish, actors Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley, campaigner Doreen Lawrence, whose son was murdered in a racist attack, and former MP Simon Hughes.

They allege they were the victims of “numerous unlawful acts” carried out by journalists or private investigators working on behalf of Associated Newspaper titles, the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday.

These included the hacking of mobile phone messages, the bugging of phone calls, obtaining private information by deception or “blagging”, and “commissioning the breaking and entry into private property” over a possible 25-year period, according to their lawyers and court documents.