LONDON: Prince Harry would become the first senior British royal to give evidence in court for more than 130 years when he testifies this week against a tabloid newspaper publisher for illegal information-gathering.
Scores of media men gathered outside London’s High Court on Monday while waiting for the arrival of 38-year-old Prince Harry for opening speeches in his case against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN).
Harry’s lawyer, David Sherborne, said that his client would not take the stand until Tuesday, as he had been celebrating his daughter Princess Lilibet’s second birthday and had arrived in the UK late Sunday.
King Charles III’s younger son Harry and other high-profile figures allege that MGN Ltd engaged in illegal activities, including phone hacking.
The MGN trial, which is expected to last up to seven weeks, was initiated last month, days after Charles’s coronation on May 6 being, attended by Harry.
His appearance in the court, expected Tuesday, is said to be the first time a senior royal has given evidence in a higher court since Edward VII, who took the stand in a slander trial in 1890 before becoming monarch.
King Charles’s sister Princess Anne was the first member of the British royal family to be convicted of a criminal offence after one of her dogs bit two children in 2002.
She pleaded guilty to an offence under the Dangerous Dogs Act and was not required to produce evidence in court.
Challenges to Prince Harry
Prince Harry, the Younger brother of Prince William and fifth in line for the throne, faced a tough time from the media, mainly since he and his American wife, Meghan left Britain for the US in 2020.
In addition, the couple has repeatedly condemned the media, especially photographers, over alleged privacy invasions.
A few days back, the couple claimed to have been involved in a “near catastrophic car chase” with paparazzi in New York, an incident police and other officials paid little attention.
He had also challenged the government of the UK in court over his security arrangements when he was coming back from the US.
However, on May 23, Harry lost his bid for a legal review of a decision refusing him permission to pay for specialist protection by UK Police.
In television interviews and his explosive memoir “Spare” appeared in January – Prince Harry hit out at other royals, accusing them of colluding with the press.
Prince Harry also alleged the monarchy wanted to prevent the opening of a “Pandora’s Box” of negative coverage that could damage the royal brand.
