Prince Harry is scheduled to appear in court again on Wednesday, but analysts are already questioning how his current legal struggle would affect his relationship with the royal family.
The Duke of Sussex testified in a U.K. courtroom on Tuesday to hold the tabloid press accountable for its “destructive” role in his life. However, a newspaper’s lawyer questioned how the 38-year-old could blame his sorrow on pieces he didn’t recall reading.
The youngest son of King Charles III accused the Daily Mirror publisher of employing “industrial-scale” illegal methods to get front-page scoops on his life. He is the first senior royal to testify in almost a century. The prince must convince Judge Timothy Fancourt that the publisher hacked his voicemails and stole confidential information throughout the trial.
“Harry’s decision to take the stand is brave – that cannot be denied,”
“The royal family has always played the long game when it comes to the press,” he said. The monarchy is a brand and must cooperate with Britain’s newspapers. It’s unavoidable. Just life. As his mother Queen Elizabeth II understood before him, the press rules forever.
“If Harry prevails in this case, it will be a pyrrhic victory at best,” Andersen said. “Harry has cast himself in the role of David battling Goliath, but I don’t envision this giant going down quite so easily.”
British royal analyst Hilary Forwich told Fox News Digital that Harry’s court fights run against the royal family’s “never complain, never explain” philosophy. She stated this lawsuit will expose his private life again.
“This tawdry case goes against the grain of everything royal,” Fordwich said. Prince Harry complains and demands explanations. He loses here. English barristers are like American litigators. They are skilled at cross-examination and questioning.”
“The likelihood that he contradicts himself is highly likely,” Fordwich cautioned. He called himself a “glacial learner” in his new tell-all book biography. Unlike a superbly educated lawyer.”
Harry told Mirror Group Newspapers attorney Andrew Green on Tuesday that he “experienced hostility from the press since I was born.” The prince said the tabloids had “a destructive role in my growing up.”
Harry quickly admitted that he wasn’t sure he could recollect the 33 pieces he was complaining about from the hundreds he claimed had been written about him.
“Is it realistic, when you have been the subject of so much press intrusion…both domestic and international, to attribute specific distress to a particular article from 20 years ago, which you may not have seen at the time?” Green asked.
Harry said the stories depressed, distrustful, and cautious of individuals he suspected were feeding the media information.
“I genuinely feel that in every relationship that I’ve ever had – be that with friends, girlfriends, family or the army – there’s always been a third party involved, namely the tabloid press,” Harry said in a prepared witness statement.
Green instructed Harry to determine which stories included phone hacking proof. Harry constantly stated he’d ask the journalist who wrote it. He insisted the information was obtained suspiciously.
Harry said several journalists were notorious for hacking or had invoices to third parties, including spying private detectives, around the time of the publications.
“To Di For Daily” anchor Kinsey Schofield said Fox News Digital that Prince Harry is highlighting his vulnerabilities. She said U.K. media “now, unfortunately, know his Achilles heel.”
“His barrister is trying to claim that every story written about Harry over [a certain] amount of time was secured under nefarious circumstances,” she said. “Little to no evidence” supports those statements, Schofield added.
“Yes, Harry has been cruelly handled… violated… but comparable to the ‘two-hour vehicle chase’ that the NYC mayor and NYPD recently debunked… She said Harry’s responses and descriptions are hysterical and make others dismiss him.
“It also feels like this is a man trapped in the past that simply can’t let things go,” Schofield added.
Green questioned Harry how reporters could have hacked his phone for a piece about his 12th birthday, when he claimed he didn’t have one. Harry alleged reporters hacked his late mother’s phone.
“That’s just speculation you’ve come up with now,” Green said.
The attorney then noted that the article’s allusion to his taking his parents’ divorce hard was evident.
