Despite initial reports to the contrary, Prince Harry, 38, did not appear at London High Court on Monday to hear the testimony in his case against the Mirror Group Newspapers. The case’s judge, Mr. Justice Fancourt, was “surprised” when the royal did not show up on Monday as requested.
However, as he takes on this historic case, his attorney David Sherborne was seen making his way to the courthouse.
As one of the prominent celebrities involved in the case, actor John Cleese was seen outside the building entering to hear the proceedings.
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Why did Prince Harry fail to turn up in court on Monday?
The judge requested that witnesses be available the day before their evidence, so he was “surprised” Harry didn’t show up. The Duke of Sussex is scheduled to give testimony on Tuesday. The royal may not have made it to court on Monday morning because he flew in to the UK from Montecito on Sunday night after celebrating his daughter’s second birthday with family at home.
What is Prince Harry’s court case about?
According to Prince Harry, over a ten-year period, newspaper groups used illegal means to gather information about him in order to publish stories.
The royal has appeared in front of the High Court before in opposition to publishers; earlier this year, he joined friend Elton John and other well-known people in a lawsuit against the Daily Mail and the Sunday Mail publisher.
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Harry discussed his desire to hold the media accountable while chatting with ITV’s Tom Bradby about his explosive memoir “Spare”. He remarked: “If they want to police society and hold us and the wealthy and powerful accountable, then who is policing them?”
Last month, the royal suffered a setback when a High Court decision regarding his security didn’t go in his favor. Despite stepping down as a working royal, the duke feels that he shouldn’t have to pay for his security when in the UK. However, a judge decided that he could not appeal the ruling. His group could still challenge the verdict.
Have other royals ever appeared in court?
Yes, Princess Anne was required to appear in court back in 2002 when she entered a plea of guilty to a charge brought against her under the Dangerous Dogs Act following the attack on two children by her pet English Bull Terrier, Dotty, in Windsor Great Park.
Dotty was required to undergo training in order to prevent anything similar from happening again, and the Princess Royal was fined £500 for the attack, ordered to pay £250 in compensation, and given £148 in costs.
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Where the Prince will stay during his visit to the UK and whether he will get a chance to see any members of the royal family have not yet been made official announcements. He has just started a private stay at his father King Charles’ residence in Romania, so it is extremely unlikely that he will see the monarch.
