Prince Harry set for witness box showdown in royal court case of the century

The Duke of Sussex is due to appear in the witness box this week for a court showdown in his ongoing phone hacking battle against some members of the British press.

Prince Harry is suing Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) for damages, claiming journalists at its titles committed phone hacking and other illegal methods of obtaining personal information.

He has accused MGN’s papers, which include the Sunday Mirror and Sunday People, of so-called “blagging” or gaining information by deception and the use of private investigators for unlawful activities.

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The duke has been asked to attend court on Monday in case the opening speeches finish before the end of the day, so there is a possibility he may enter the witness box on Monday afternoon. Otherwise he is expected to begin his evidence on Tuesday, when he will face cross-examination from MGN’s lawyers.

It is thought to be the first time a senior member of the royal family has personally appeared in court proceedings since 2002, when the Princess Royal pleaded guilty to a charge under the Dangerous Dogs Act after her English bull terrier bit two children in Windsor Great Park.

At the start of the phone hacking trial in May, the court was told that the “systemic” use of private investigators by journalists to obtain private information unlawfully was authorised by senior editors, including Piers Morgan, at the group’s titles.

MGN said in a written submission that it “unreservedly apologises” to the duke for one instance of unlawful information-gathering.

The group, which also publishes the Daily Mirror, said it accepted Harry was entitled to “appropriate compensation”.

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Harry has vocalised his difficult relationship with the press several times over the years. In his memoir Spare published this year, the duke firmly advocated against press intrusion.

Speaking to ITV’s Tom Bradby about the book, Harry referred to the media as the “devil” and blamed the ongoing rift between him and his family on the press.

However, he continued: “After many, many years of lies being told about me and my family there comes a point where going back to the relationship between certain members of the family and the tabloid press, those certain members have decided to get in the bed with the devil, right?”

Harry previously attended the High Court in March to attend a preliminary hearing in his separate claim against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) – the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail On Sunday.

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A ruling is awaited in that and in another case brought by the duke against ANL, over Mail On Sunday coverage of his claim against the Home Office about his security arrangements when in the UK.

He is also bringing legal action against News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun and the now-defunct News Of The World, over unlawful information at its titles and is awaiting a decision on whether that claim can go ahead to a trial expected in January next year.

Witnesses for MGN relating to Harry’s claim are due to be called to give evidence on Wednesday, although the schedule may change.