The Duke of Sussex has arrived at the High Court in London as the trial against the publisher of The Daily Mail over allegations of unlawful information gathering begins.
Dressed smartly in a navy blue suit with a matching tie over a white shirt, Prince Harry, 41, waved briefly as he made his way inside the court.
Harry, Sir Elton John, his husband David Furnish, campaigner Baroness Doreen Lawrence, politician Sir Simon Hughes and actresses Sadie Frost and Elizabeth Hurley are all taking action against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL).
The group claims that the publisher carried out or commissioned unlawful activities such as hiring private investigators to place listening devices inside cars, “blagging” private records and accessing private phone conversations.
ANL, which also publishes the Mail on Sunday, has vehemently denied the allegations.
Harry and the other claimants are all expected to provide evidence, with the Duke’s time in the witness box scheduled to be on Thursday. Sir Elton and Mr Furnish are expected to give evidence remotely. The trial is expected to last nine weeks.
Who else attended the High Court on Monday?
Sadie Frost and Elizabeth Hurley were two of the other high-profile claimants who attended court on Monday.
© GC ImagesIn her case against ANL, Sadie alleges she suffered invasions of her privacy through phone hacking and the tapping of her ex-husband Jude Law’s landline when he was discussing details of their divorce settlement.
© AFP via Getty ImagesMeanwhile, Elizabeth arrived at the central London court, supported by her 23-year-old son, Damian.
Prince Harry’s previous legal action
Harry has previously brought legal action against other newspaper publishers over allegations of unlawful information gathering.
© Getty ImagesIn 2023, he was awarded £140,600 in damages from Mirror Group Newspapers, and settled a claim against News Group Newspapers, the publisher of the Sun and the now-defunct News Of The World, last January.
The Duke also lost a Court of Appeal challenge against the Home Office over his security arrangements while in the UK last May. The Home Office has now ordered a threat assessment for the first time since 2020, The Sun reported in December.
Will Harry see his family during UK visit?
The Duke is not expected to see the King or the Prince and Princess of Wales during his visit. Charles, 77, is currently in Scotland for his traditional post-Christmas stay and will host a reception at the Palace of Holyroodhouse to celebrate Scotland’s entrepreneurial spirit on Monday.
Father and son were last reunited in September after 19 months, with Harry meeting with Charles at Clarence House for tea during his visit.
© GettyThe Telegraph reported that royal sources acknowledged the King did not wish to be linked to any court proceedings, so will give his son a wide berth on this occasion.
Meanwhile, relations between Harry and his older brother, Prince William, 43, remain estranged. The pair were last seen publicly together at the King’s coronation in May 2023.
© GettyWilliam and Kate are set to travel up to Stirling in Scotland on Tuesday to meet with the Team GB and Paralympic GB curling squads at the National Curling Academy ahead of the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games and visit a handweaving studio.
On Thursday, the day Harry is due to give evidence in court, the Prince of Wales will be in Bristol to showcase the city’s trailblazing achievements in sustainability.
Additional reporting by PA.
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