Prince Harry’s eagerly anticipated appearance in a London court has been postponed until Tuesday, leaving the judge “surprised” by his absence on Monday.
Harry, the younger son of King Charles, is involved in a lawsuit against the publisher of a British tabloid. He is among more than 100 high-profile individuals suing Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) for alleged phone hacking and other illicit activities spanning two decades.
The trial, which began last month, aims to establish that senior editors and executives were aware and complicit in the unlawful information gathering. This historic case marks the first time in 130 years that a senior British royal will testify in court. The proceedings take place at the High Court’s Rolls Building and have attracted significant media attention.
Harry’s lawyer, David Sherborne, informed Judge Timothy Fancourt that the prince was unable to attend Monday’s hearing due to logistic reasons. Harry had flown from his Los Angeles home after celebrating his daughter Lilibet’s second birthday. Fancourt had requested that the first witness in each test case appear on the opening day, hence his surprise at Harry’s absence. MGN’s lawyer, Andrew Green, described the situation as “absolutely extraordinary.”
During the trial, Harry is expected to face extensive questioning regarding 33 articles that allegedly used unlawfully obtained information.
MGN, now owned by Reach, has acknowledged one occasion where the Sunday People unlawfully pursued information about Harry and offered an apology and compensation. However, the publisher has contested Harry’s remaining claims, asserting a lack of evidence. Buckingham Palace is likely to be a focal point of Harry’s cross-examination, as MGN contends that some information came from royal aides.
In court documents, Harry has attributed the alleged unlawful activities to significant distress and paranoia, which he believes contributed to the breakdown of his relationship with ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy. This appearance marks Harry’s second visit to the High Court this year, following his involvement in a lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily and Sunday Mail tabloids.
The fifth-in-line to the throne has been embroiled in multiple legal battles with the British press, including a phone-hacking case against Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper arm.
The prince has also accused his family and their aides of collusion with tabloids in his memoir and Netflix documentary series, although Buckingham Palace has refrained from commenting on these allegations.
