Prince Harry, 38, skipped court on Monday, leaving his attorney David Sherborne to explain why he wasn’t there. However, on Tuesday, the royal showed up prepared to testify and made a number of allegations and revelations while doing so.
Before the next hearing in the trial against the Mirror Group Newspapers, he was seen arriving at the London High Court in the morning.
At 9.36 am, the Duke of Sussex was seen exiting a black Range Rover, and there was a noticeable police presence for security. For his significant appearance, he was dressed in a dapper black suit and tie.
What did Prince Harry say in court?
Prince Harry on stepping back from royal duties
Prince Harry once more discussed the reasons he and his wife Meghan Markle felt the need to retire from their roles as working royals in his witness statement. This was largely caused by the tabloid press’s ongoing invasion of our privacy, incitement of hate, and harassment, all of which had a negative impact on our mental health and wellbeing. We were also very worried about our son’s safety and security,” he said.
Prince Harry on the late Queen being fearful of media intrusion
The royal acknowledged that being followed by paparazzi made “everything feel as though I was under 24-hour surveillance.” He added that his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II was so concerned about press encroachment that she sent a personal aide to covertly stay across the street from him even during a gap year to Australia in 2003.
Photo: Getty Images
Prince Harry on how his childhood was impacted by the press
Harry said in a statement about growing up in the royal family and the spotlight, “As a child, every single one of these articles played an important and destructive role in my growing up.”
After talking about payments made to private investigators used to gather information on him, he also added: “I now realise that my acute paranoia of being constantly under surveillance was not misplaced after all.”
Prince Harry on his relationship with Chelsy Davy
The breakdown of his relationship with his ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy was another topic covered by the royal. These kinds of articles gave him the impression that his relationship with Chelsy was destined to fail.
It was extremely upsetting for me at the time that she ultimately decided that a life as a royal was not for her as he continued.
Prince Harry on understanding how Princess Diana must have felt
Harry also compared his experiences to those of his mother Princess Diana. Despite what I’ve always heard, my mother was not paranoid. He testified in court, “She was afraid of what was really happening to her, and now I know that I was the same.
Photo: Getty Images
Prince Harry on the James Hewitt rumours
Despite the fact that Diana met Major Hewitt after the Prince’s birth, their relationship led to false claims that he was Harry’s father. In his passionate witness statement, Harry described the rumor as “hurtful, mean, and cruel”.
Photo: Getty Images
See more photos of Prince Harry arriving at court
While the royal maintained a solemn expression as he exited the vehicle, he did smile as he approached the structure.
As he entered the building for the customary security checks, he avoided responding to any questions from reporters.
Prior to the Duke, his attorney David Sherborne arrived and was captured on camera.
The case’s judge, Mr. Justice Fancourt, stated on Monday that he was “a little surprised” to learn that the duke had cancelled. He likely arrived late to the trial because he wanted to fly out after celebrating his daughter’s second birthday in the US on Sunday.
What is Prince Harry’s court case about?
In order to run stories over a ten-year period, the newspaper group allegedly used illegal methods to obtain information about Prince Harry, according to claims made by Prince Harry.
He joined his friend Elton John and other well-known people in a lawsuit against the Daily Mail and Sunday Mail publisher earlier this year.
Harry discussed his ongoing resolve to hold the media accountable while promoting his explosive memoir “Spare” with ITV’s Tom Bradby. 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 wished to contest the ruling that he should pay privately for his security while in the UK. However, the judge decided that the duke could not appeal the ruling. At this point, his team still has time to appeal the decision.
Photo: Getty Images
Will Prince Harry see his family while he is in the UK?
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 been made public. 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. However, there may be a chance for him to meet Ernest, Princess Eugenie’s recently born son, who was born on May 30. Ernest is the newest member of the royal family.
Photo: Shutterstock
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.
Princess Diana, mother of Prince Harry, once prepared to go before a judge in a case against former gym owner Bryce Taylor, who took illegal photos of Diana exercising and they were later published by the Mirror Group Newspapers. The Princess of Wales avoided court because the dispute was ultimately resolved.
Additionally, in 1870, the Prince of Wales, who would later become King Edward VII, testified in court in a divorce case to deny Lady Harriet Mordaunt’s accusations of an affair. This was Prince Harry’s great-great-great grandfather.
