Prince Harry To Face ‘Lonely’ Four Days During High Stakes Murdoch Trial

Prince Harry will spend four days giving evidence to the High Court in a privacy lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch‘s media empire—and will not be able to discuss his testimony, even with Meghan Markle.

Lawyers for the publisher of British tabloid The Sun indicated this week that Harry can expect to spend a marathon four days in the witness box being grilled about news stories relating to his private life.

The duke wants to prove illegal practices took place at the newspaper and has accepted he will likely end up shelling out millions in legal costs even if he wins.

Assuming lawyers for the publisher, News Group Newspapers, take the time they have asked for, the case will most likely see Harry spend the four days—at least—in London away from Meghan Markle and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Mark Stephens, an attorney at U.K. based law firm Howard Kennedy, told Newsweek: “He’s not allowed to talk to anyone about his evidence, so he won’t be about to talk to his own lawyers, he won’t be able to talk to his friends about the evidence.

“He’ll be able to talk about other things but you’re in a kind of isolation of trust. It is quite a lonely experience.”

Prince Harry will know what to expect having given evidence to London’s High Court before during a similar privacy lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers back in 2023.

However, then he gave evidence over just two days, meaning he had only one lonely night unable to discuss the highs and lows of his first day in court.

And with the full timetable for the trial yet to be drawn up, it is currently unclear whether Harry’s evidence will be contained within one week—or may wind up straddling a weekend in which he would also be barred from discussing his testimony.

That means, any points of anxiety or stress or even elation at aspects that have gone well will be off the table for discussion topics during what will know doubt be an end of the day video call, to fit in with West Coast time, which is eight hours behind the U.K.

Harry has not so far confirmed whether he will be physically in court or will give evidence remotely from California but he did travel to London for his Mirror Group case, and he went alone as Meghan remained in Montecito with Archie and Lili.

“It would be normal for him to come because the judge will want to judge his demeanor and how he is giving the evidence,” Stephens said. “Although we have seen cases where witnesses from abroad have given evidence via video link.

“But it tends to be on more uncontroversial issues so I think it is unlikely that he will give video evidence via video link under these circumstances. The question is where will he spend his lonely night? Not at Windsor Castle.”

Harry and Meghan used to have a U.K. home, Frogmore Cottage, based within the grounds of Windsor Castle but were evicted by King Charles III in 2023, just months after the release of his book Spare.

The move created additional challenges for Harry because Frogmore sits within the sprawling parkland protected by police officers, and the house therefore represented the last vestiges of their police protection.

The prince is believed to have opted for hotels on most recent visits, though he did at one point stay with his uncle Charles Spencer, in August, around the time of the anniversary of Princess Diana‘s death. The estate, Althorp, is home to her grave.

Harry’s case involves discussing highly emotional subjects, including the demise of his past relationship with Chelsy Davy, who the prince believes was driven away by the intrusion of the press.

He also believes himself to be fighting a David vs Goliath battle on behalf of 1,300 other victims of media intrusion who have been paid out of court settlements by Murdoch’s U.K. publisher.

Most of Harry’s allegations date back decades to a period when it is already known journalists at Murdoch tabloid the News of the World were hacking phones, including the prince’s.

In fact, it was following reports to the Metropolitan Police by Prince William and his palace aides that the newspaper’s royal editor Clive Goodman was jailed alongside private investigator Glenn Mulcaire in 2007.

In 2011, the phone hacking scandal became so big Murdoch closed the newspaper, which had at one point been feared by politicians and celebrities alike.

Harry’s case is, though, trying to break new ground in that he wants to prove there were also unlawful practices at Murdoch’s other tabloid, The Sun, which is still running and regularly reports on the royals, including the duke.

He also wants to try to prove the illegality extended above the level of the front line journalists writing stories and up to executive level.

News Group Newspapers is hoping to convince the judge that the allegations are old news and that Harry missed his window for filing the case, which under privacy law is six years.

Meanwhile, Harry will argue he did not and could not have known he was a victim within the six-year window because of the publisher’s efforts to cover up the malpractice.

The trial has been listed for January but the judge indicated the first 10 court days will be taken up with the overarching “generic case” about the wider actions of the publisher, meaning Harry’s evidence will likely not be heard until later.

The exact timetable, including which witnesses will be called and when, has not yet been finalized but the trial will span eight weeks.

Harry is not the only claimant, former Labour Party deputy leader Tom Watson is also suing, and there will be separate portions given over to each of their specific cases.

News Group Newspapers denies Harry’s allegations and will fight the case, presenting its own journalists as witnesses.

Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.

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