Prince Harry, 38, was a no-show at London High Court on Monday, despite initial reports that he could attend to hear evidence in his trial against the Mirror Group Newspapers. Mr Justice Fancourt, who is overseeing the case, was left "surprised" that the royal did not attend on Monday as originally requested.
His barrister David Sherborne was seen arriving at court though, as he takes on this landmark case.
Actor John Cleese was pictured outside the building, going in to hear the proceedings as he was one of the high-profile celebrities involved in the case.
© Getty ImagesWhy did Prince Harry fail to turn up in court on Monday?
The Duke of Sussex is set to give evidence on Tuesday, but it has been made known that the judge requested that witnesses should be available the day before their evidence, so he was "surprised" Harry didn't show up. The royal flew in to the UK from Montecito on Sunday night after celebrating his daughter's second birthday with family at home, and this could be the reason he did not make it to court on Monday morning.
What is Prince Harry's court case about?
Prince Harry is claiming that over a period of 10 years the newspaper groups used illegal methods to obtain information about him in order to run stories.
This isn't the only High Court appearance the royal has made against publishers as earlier this year he joined friend Elton John and other public figures in a lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail and the Sunday Mail.
© GettySpeaking to ITV’s Tom Bradby to promote his bombshell memoir “Spare”, Harry talked about his determination to hold the press accountable. He said: "They want to hold us and the rich and powerful to account and they want to police society – then who’s policing them?"
The royal took a blow last month when a High Court ruling over his security didn't go in his favour. The duke believes he shouldn't pay privately for his security when in the UK, despite stepping down as a working royal, but a judge ruled that he could not dispute the decision. His team could still appeal the ruling.
Have other royals ever appeared in court?
Yes, Princess Anne had to appear in court back in 2002, when she pleaded guilty to a charge under the Dangerous Dogs Act after her pet dog Dotty, an English Bull Terrier, bit two children in Windsor Great Park.
The Princess Royal was fined £500 for the attack and ordered to pay £250 in compensation and £148 in costs while Dotty was ordered to undergo training to prevent anything like that happening again.
© GettyIt has not been formally announced where the Prince will stay during his UK visit and if he will have the chance to reunite with any members of the royal family. It is very unlikely he will see his father King Charles as he has just commenced a private stay at his home in Romania.
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