Prince Harry sparked controversy and criticism for his absence at the start of his trial against the Mirror Group Newspapers at London’s High Court on Monday, June 5. 

His nonappearance coincided with his daughter Princess Lilibet’s birthday festivities in California on Sunday, June 4.

David Sherborne, acting as the legal counsel for Prince Harry, created a commotion in court when he informed everyone that the Duke of Sussex would not be present for the day’s hearings. He pledged that Harry would be present the next day, having jetted in from Los Angeles the previous night, and cited his daughter’s birthday as the reason for his absence.

The judge responded with shock and displeasure, as the initial plan had included Prince Harry as the first witness. Sherborne tried to downplay these worries by asserting that Harry’s situation was “unique” due to his travel and security arrangements, implying his attendance was not required for the day as they didn’t foresee the proceedings lasting the whole day.

Nevertheless, the judge dismissed Sherborne’s defense, underscoring that a full day’s trial had indeed been predicted. This was affirmed by the judge’s original instruction for the first witness, Prince Harry, to be present in court.

Andrew Green, the representative for the Mirror Group Newspapers, criticized Prince Harry’s team for their failure to present him to give evidence, accusing them of unnecessary delay. Green stressed the importance of a detailed cross-examination of Prince Harry over 33 articles, explaining that it wasn’t possible to address within a day’s proceedings and estimating it would take at least a day and a half.

Prince Harry is among several claimants alleging that the Mirror Group unlawfully obtained information to publish a sequence of stories about them. In his opening remarks, Sherborne claimed it was “apparent” that articles about Harry’s personal life notably boosted newspaper circulation. He argued that Harry, one of the most reported individuals during that time, had experienced several instances of hacking.

Much of Harry’s testimony explored the effect that the disclosure of stories about him had on his early life, especially his relationship with his first serious girlfriend, Chelsy Davey. In his written statement, he described how the unrelenting exposure of private aspects of his relationship led to paranoia, as he questioned who among his friends or close contacts might be passing information to the press.