ROYALSPrince Harry Defies Judge, Ditches First Day of Trial Against British Tabloid
June 5 2023, Published 10:57 a.m. ET
Prince Harry was a no-show in a London court on Monday, June 5, defying the orders of the judge as he's supposed to be present for the first day of trial against the British tabloid, the U.K.'s Daily Mirror.
Harry had a good reason for not being there, as his lawyer David Sherborne told Judge Timothy Fancourt that the Duke of Sussex needed to attend his daughter Lilibet's second birthday, which is why he took a late flight from L.A. to the U.K. on Sunday, June 4.
“His travel arrangements are such and his security arrangements are such that it is a little bit tricky,” Sherborne told the judge.
“I’m a little surprised,” Fancourt replied, noting how he told Harry he had to be in court the first day of the case, in which he's accused the tabloids of hacking his phone and invading his privacy when he grew up in England.
Never miss a story — sign up for the OK! newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what OK! has to offer. It’s gossip too good to wait for!
- Prince Harry Jokes He's Going to Share Courtroom Evidence With Meghan Markle and Their 2 Young Kids
- Prince Harry Claims 'Vile' Tabloids Would Try to 'Coax' Him 'Into Doing Something Stupid' So They 'Could Sell Lots of Newspapers'
- Prince Harry Smiles and Gives a Thumbs Up After Leaving High Court: Photos
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
Harry had originally be scheduled to testify on Tuesday, June 6, but his lawyer said he should appear on Monday for opening statements.
As OK! previously reported, the dad-of-two is suing Mirror Group Newspapers for gaining unlawful information and then publishing it.
For their part, Mirror Group said it had only gained their information through documents, public statements and sources to report on the royal family. But Sherbourne claims the journalists listened to Harry's voicemails and even hired a private investigator to spy on him.
Now, his family is on edge that Harry could keep spilling secrets when he testifies in court.
"It has his family terrified," an insider said about the Spare author. "They are nervous about what Harry could ultimately reveal, and rightly so. His book was bad enough."
"He could elaborate more on the story, planting claims in court," the source added. "Was the whole family leaking dirt on Harry and Meghan to keep the spotlight off themselves?"
Prince William was also allegedly involved in a phone-hacking case in 2020 against News Group Newspapers. In court documents, Harry claimed his brother, 40, was paid a "very large sum" to settle with the media organization at the time, adding that he did so "without any of the public being told, and seemingly with some favorable deal in return for his going 'quietly.'"
