London, Europe Brief News – Prince Harry made a surprise appearance at High Court in Associated Newspapers hearing.
The Duke of Sussex, 38, attended the High Court for the first day of a legal case in which he and other prominent figures including Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley and Jude Law’s ex-wife Sadie Frost are suing Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL), publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, for illegal information gathering.
Dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and tie, Prince Harry watched intently during the proceedings, sometimes taking notes, from his seat two rows behind the leading lawyers in the case. Frost also sat nearby, and John arrived at the High Court later in the day.
The four-day hearing will consider legal arguments from both sides and will conclude with a judge’s ruling on whether the case should go to trial. Associated Newspapers are arguing that the case should be thrown out.
Prince Harry’s appearance will be seen by many as a sign of his strength of feeling over his privacy and determination regarding the legal action.
Others taking part in the legal action include Sir Elton’s husband David Furnish, and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, the mother of Stephen Lawrence, who was murdered in a racist attack in 1993.
The group launched the legal action last year after becoming aware of “compelling and highly distressing evidence that they have been the victims of abhorrent criminal activity and gross breaches of privacy” by ANL, according to a statement by law firm Hamlins released in October 2022.
