It’s a complete rarity to see Prince Harry back on home soil after his explosive departure from the royal family and equally explosive memoir, Spare, and Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan.
But now, the Californian-based Duke of Sussex has made an unexpected visit to England for a hearing in London’s High Court.
It’s unclear if the Prince saw his family in London, or if they discussed his intention to attend his father’s, King Charles III, upcoming coronation, but his trip has been the media-fuelled fiasco he probably intended to avoid.
However the Spare author’s choice to make his first visit to his hometown since Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral is telling of where his priorities lie: taking down the British press.
His impromptu trip to London, which Prince Harry took without being accompanied by his wife, Meghan Markle, or their two children Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 1, comes as part of a court hearing part of his claim against the Associated Newspapers Limited.
Prince Harry joined the lawsuit as a claimant in 2022, uniting with several other prolific Brits like Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley, accusing the ANL of engaging in unlawful means to obtain information about the A-listers.
The group of glitterati have alleged that the ANL hired private investigators to engage in various criminal acts, like placing listening devices in the homes of the celebrities and recording their private conversations, amongst other illegal means.
Representatives for the claimants asserted that the group were “victims of abhorrent criminal activity and gross breaches of privacy.”
As we know from Prince Harry’s countless previous lawsuits against the ANL, it’s clear that he will hold no bars when it comes to litigating the publisher.
With ANL responsible for the publishing of tabloid mediums like the Daily Mail, Mail Online and Mail on Sunday, the Prince is clearly demonstrating that the salacious headlines is something he wants to leave behind, much like his life as a senior member of the royal family.
The ANL have vehemently denied their allegations, but with the four-day pretrial just underway, it will be up to the judges of the King’s Bench to determine where the truth lies.
