Disappointed expectations for Prince Harry who must appear at the High Court in London for a historic testimony in the case against the Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), the editorial group of the tabloid Mirror, on the alleged illegal interceptions against the Duke of Sussex in the period between 1995 and 2011. In fact, according to what was announced by his lawyer David Sherborne, the presence of the prince in court is not scheduled for today and we will therefore have to wait until tomorrow. For the first time in over a century, a member of the British royal family, in this case the son of reigning King Charles III, must appear to testify in a UK court. Harry arrived in London yesterday from California after the birthday of his daughter Lilibet.
Harry's will not be his first appearance in a lawsuit against the tabloids as it happened in March as part of a separate lawsuit filed against the publisher of the Mail. But it is the first time of a testimony given directly by the royal - as a supposed injured party - for over a century: the historical precedent is that concerning Edward VII, who testified in a defamation trial in 1890 before becoming sovereign. Harry is expected to face cross-examination by the defense lawyers of the Mirror's top management and those of journalistic executives at the time. Already today, MGN's lawyers protested the absence of the prince, stating that the editorial team was already ready to hear from him, complaining about an unnecessary waste of time. The one against the Mirror is one of the three legal actions launched by the duke together with other VIPs against as many editorial groups owners of the three main tabloid tabloids of the Kingdom (MGN, Associated Newspapers, News Group Newspapers) all accused of espionage, illegal interception and violation of privacy in the context of events that partly date back to several years ago. In this case, the lawsuit directly targets the top management and some former directors of the Mirror (who deny or at least challenge the prince to present the evidence in his possession), including the controversial Piers Morgan: current television anchorman and sworn enemy of both Harry and his wife Meghan.