LONDON, England: Prince Harry is to return to London this week for the trial into his claims that a UK newspaper group unlawfully gathered information, in the royal’s last case in his long-running crusade against the media.
The trial, expected to last up to nine weeks, began at London’s High Court on Monday.
It is the third and final case brought by the prince, who is said to see holding the media to account as a personal mission.
Harry has long blamed the media for the death of his mother, Princess Diana, who was killed in a Paris car crash in 1997 while trying to shake off paparazzi.
King Charles III’s younger son is bringing the case along with six other high-profile complainants, including pop icon Elton John and David Furnish.
The seven accuse the UK newspaper group of allegedly carrying out or commissioning unlawful activities such as hiring private investigators to place listening devices inside cars.
They also allegedly impersonated individuals to obtain medical information — a practice known as blagging — and accessed private phone conversations.
The media group has firmly denied the allegations, calling them “lurid” and “preposterous”.
Harry is expected to attend for some of the first three days of opening statements.
He is then due to take the stand for a full day of testimony on Thursday, according to a draft trial schedule shared with reporters by lawyers.
Actor Elizabeth Hurley is set to give evidence the following week, followed by John and Furnish in early February. Actor Sadie Frost is also among the complainants.
In 2023, Harry made history by becoming the first senior British royal to give evidence in court for more than a century, when he testified as part of his claim against a newspaper group.
It will be a rare trip back to Britain for the prince, also known as the Duke of Sussex, who stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and eventually relocated to California with his wife, Meghan, where they live with their two children.
During his last UK visit in September, Harry met with the king, seeking to start to repair a bitter rift with his immediate family.
But UK media have said there are no plans for Harry to see Charles during next week’s visit. – AFP
