Prince Harry began giving evidence at the High Court today in his phone hacking trial against the publisher of the Daily Mirror, the first royal evidence in open court since 1891.
Harry, in a dark purple suit and dark purple tie, took to the witness box and swore to tell the truth on a Bible under his father’s Overlord crest.
The Duke of Sussex flew to the UK from California on Monday and looked relaxed and even smiled as he entered the High Court’s modern annex, the Rolls Building, saying “good morning” to the waiting press.
He was criticized by one of Britain’s top judges yesterday and accused of wasting court time after skipping the first day of his historic case to celebrate his daughter Lilibeth’s birthday in Montecito before flying to Britain.
Harry and three others sued the Mirror group, alleging that the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and The People had hacked their phones or engaged in other illegal activity, which has been denied.
In 1891, Edward VII testified when a libel suit was brought by a card player accused of cheating at baccarat at a time when gambling was illegal. His appearance in the witness box has left Queen Victoria worried, but it is not known what Harry’s father, King Charles III, thinks of his son’s historic court appearance.
The Duke of Sussex will be in the High Court witness box for two days this week, twice as long as he spent at the coronation. It is not clear whether she will see her father or brother this week or meet her cousin Princess Eugenie’s new son, Ernest, who was born last Tuesday.
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, heads to the High Court today to give evidence, the first royal in more than a century.
Harry is suing Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) for damages, claiming journalists, whose titles also include the Sunday Mirror and Sunday People, were involved in methods including phone hacking.
Harry smiled and said good morning to the people waiting to see him in central London
Harry was not in court yesterday. had missed it because he stayed in California for his daughter Lilibeth’s 2nd birthday, which led to the judge’s response.
He was met at the door of the court by his KC David Sherborne
Harry and Meghan attend the Ms Foundation Women of Vision Awards on May 16 in New York
She made a flying visit for her father King Charles’ coronation day, spending around 28 hours in Britain before rushing back to California.
Prince Harry will stay in Britain for twice as long as during his coronation
It comes on May 6, just a month after Harry attended his father’s coronation as King
The Duke of Sussex will be in the High Court witness box for two days this week, twice as long as he spent at the coronation.
She made a flying visit for her father King Charles’ coronation day, spending around 28 hours in Britain before rushing back to California.
But the Duke seems to have more time to devote to his legal crusade against the publisher of the Mirror newspaper.
He is expected to spend a full day in the High Court witness box today and at least half a day tomorrow. In fact, he could have started giving his evidence yesterday, but he did not fly to the UK until Sunday evening so he could help celebrate his two-year-old daughter’s birthday. Earlier this year, Harry spent another three days at the High Court watching preliminary hearings in a separate legal battle he is waging against the publisher of the Mail.
For the May 6 coronation, Harry flew in the day before. He sat in the third row at Westminster Abbey, two rows behind his brother William, before rushing back to Heathrow after the service.
By the time King Charles and Queen Camilla waved from the balcony of Buckingham Palace, she was already at the airport, returning to her Montecito mansion for her son Archie’s fourth birthday.
But the Duke seems to have more time to devote to his legal crusade against the publisher of the Mirror newspaper.
He is expected to spend a full day in the High Court witness box today and at least half a day tomorrow.
In fact, he could have started giving his evidence yesterday, but he did not fly to the UK until Sunday evening so he could help celebrate his two-year-old daughter’s birthday.
An angry judge reprimanded the duke’s lawyer after it emerged the royal witness was “unavailable” on the opening day of his case against the publisher of the Mirror newspaper.
David Sherborne explained that his client was in a “different category” because of his “travel and security arrangements”. Those arrangements included Harry flying in from California on Sunday night after celebrating Princess Lilybeth of Sussex’s second birthday, the court heard.
Andrew Green of The Mirror’s KC said it was “absolutely extraordinary” that Harry was “not available on the first day of his trial”. Mr Justice Fancourt said he was “a little surprised” Harry was not there and admonished Mr Sherborne for causing “timetable chaos”.
Harry, 38, complains that a 2003 article in The People deepened a bitter rift with Prince William by revealing the brothers had fallen out over Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell two decades ago. It described an alleged private disagreement over how to deal with Mr Burrell, who was accused of speaking to the media about his personal affairs.
William was said to have insisted that meeting Mr Burrell was “the only way to stop him selling Diana more secrets”, while Harry believed the former servant would just use the opportunity to make money. Mr Sherborne said: “Even at this very early stage in the formation, the seeds of discord between these two brothers are beginning to be sown.” He claimed that Harry was subjected to illegal activities from when he was a teenage boy, after his mother’s death, through his training in the Sandhurst Army and into young adulthood.
He said. “Nothing was sacred or off-limits, every episode of his life, even revealing the ups and downs of his first serious relationship with Chelsy Davy.” But publisher KC insisted. “There’s simply no evidence that the Duke of Sussex has ever been broke, much less that he’s been broke on a regular basis.”
Mr Green said that unlike other hacking cases which were supported by phone records, Harry’s case had “zero, zero, nada” similar evidence. He also said it was “astounding” that even convicted phone hackers Graham Johnson and Dan Evans, former Mirror journalists who gave evidence to support Harry, did not say the Duke or those close to him had been hacked.
Harry is one of a number of high-profile figures who have filed lawsuits against the Mirror Group newspapers for allegedly gathering illegal information in its headlines.
The prince, Coronation Street actors Michael Turner and Nicky Sanderson, and Paul Whitehouse’s ex-wife Fiona Whiteman, allege journalists at the publisher were involved in the wiretapping of voicemails.
David Sherborne, Harry’s lawyer, at the High Court in London today
A courtroom artist’s sketch of Harry’s barrister David Sherborne (left) at the High Court, where he and Harry were both criticized
A box of documents marked “Duke of Sussex” is brought to the High Court in London
Mr Green added that the Metropolitan Police thoroughly investigated the phone hacking scandal and never suggested to Harry that he was a victim. Harry claims that about 140 articles published between 1996 and 2010 contained information that was gathered using illegal methods.
Mr Sherborne claimed the Duke’s phone would be “hacked on numerous occasions”, along with his family, friends and royal aides. He said Harry, who is also suing the publisher of The Sun and the Daily Mail, was not pursuing “a vendetta against the UK media” but wanted to use his fame to “focus attention”.
Piers Morgan’s Daily Mirror also hacked Princess Diana’s voicemails from Harry when he was at school, saying:
Mr Sherborne said the former editor of the title boasted he had heard Diana had secretly comforted TV comic Michael Barrymore, who was struggling with addiction and homosexuality, adding: “As he heard, it was obvious. would listen to Prince Harry’s private messages.
Mr Green said it was “complete speculation with no basis in evidence”. The case will run for seven weeks, hearing claims from Coronation Street actors Michael Turner and Nicky Sanderson and comedian Paul Whitehouse’s ex-wife Fiona Whiteman.