Prince Harry to Appear as a Witness in London Court Trial This Summer for Phone Hacking Case

The Duke of Sussex will reportedly testify against the publisher of The Mirror

Prince Harry is expected to take the witness stand in London this summer to testify against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) over alleged unlawful information gathering.

The Duke of Sussex, 38, is expected to testify in early to mid-June, the Associated Press reported Wednesday, citing lawyers and a preliminary schedule of witnesses. The trial itself begins May 9 — just three days after the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla. It remains unclear whether Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will attend the crowning ceremony.

Mirror Group Newspapers is the publisher of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, Daily Express and more, and Prince Harry alleges that his phone voicemails were hacked. Contesting the claims, the powerhouse publisher argues that they were brought too late, according to the AP. Prince Harry launched the claim in 2019.

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The Duke of Sussex is one of four "representative" claimants chosen as "test cases" from a larger group of high-profile figures suing the publisher, The Independent reported. The other claimants are actress Nikki Sanderson, actor Michael Turner and Fiona Wightman, ex-wife of comedian Paul Whitehouse.

The trial is set to run for six to seven weeks, and Prince Harry's claim is expected to take three days, The Independent said. The appearance also will mark Harry's second time at High Court in three months. Last week, he attended three out of the four days of hearings that will determine whether his lawsuit against Associated Newspapers goes to trial.

Prince Harry, Elizabeth Hurley, Elton John, John's husband David Furnish and more are suing Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL), publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, for illegal information gathering. The four-day hearing commenced to consider legal arguments from both sides, as ANL argues that the case should be thrown out.

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It is due to conclude with a judge's ruling on whether the case should go to trial. Reuters reports that Justice Matthew Nicklin, who is presiding over the case, is not expected to make a decision for a few weeks.

According to the outlet, Nicklin told Prince Harry's lawyer David Sherborne that if the case did advance, it would be a "massive trial" lasting a "substantial period of time."

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