Prince Harry sparked controversy and criticism for his absence at the start of his trial against the Mirror Group Newspapers at London’s High Court on Monday, June 5.
His nonattendance coincided with the birthday celebration of his daughter, Princess Lilibet, which was held in California on Sunday, June 4.
David Sherborne, the legal representative for Prince Harry, caused a stir in the courtroom by revealing that the Duke of Sussex would not be present for the day’s proceedings. Sherborne assured the court that Harry would arrive the next day, having flown from Los Angeles the previous evening. He explained the prince’s absence by stating that he had been attending his daughter’s birthday celebration.
The judge reacted with surprise and frustration, expressing that the initial expectation had been for Prince Harry to be available as the first witness. Sherborne attempted to alleviate these concerns by arguing that Harry fell into a “different category” due to travel and security arrangements, suggesting his presence was not essential for the day as they did not expect the proceedings to last the entire day.
However, the judge rebuked Sherborne’s argument, pointing out that the potential for a full day’s trial had indeed been expected. This was underlined by the judge’s initial directive for the first witness, Prince Harry, to be in court.
Andrew Green, representing the Mirror Group Newspapers, denounced Prince Harry’s side for their failure to present him to testify, accusing them of wasting time. Green conveyed the importance of a thorough cross-examination of Prince Harry regarding 33 articles, stating that it was not feasible to cover within a day’s time, and estimating it would require at least one and a half days.
Prince Harry is one among many claimants alleging that the Mirror Group illegally acquired information to publish a series of stories about them. Sherborne, in his opening statement, declared that it was “obvious” that articles concerning Harry’s private life considerably increased newspaper sales. He argued that Harry, one of the most prolifically covered individuals during that period, had been the victim of multiple instances of hacking.
A significant part of Harry’s narrative will go into the impact that publicizing stories about him had during his younger years, especially concerning his relationship with his first serious girlfriend, Chelsy Davey. In his written statement, he detailed how the relentless disclosure of private aspects of his relationship caused him paranoia, as he struggled to identify who among his friends or close acquaintances might be divulging information to the press.
