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Prince Harry confirms Meghan Markle hasn't joined him on UK trip

The Duke of Sussex has inadvertently confirmed that his wife Meghan Markle has not joined him in the UK for phone hacking trial

Rachel Avery
Homes Editor
June 7, 2023
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Prince Harry attended court for a second day on Wednesday, facing further cross-examination by MGN's barrister.

After five hours of grilling on Tuesday, the Duke was told that he would need to return for a following day of questioning.

WATCH: See Prince Harry arriving for a second day of court proceedings
Prince Harry arrives for day two in court
The Duke of Sussex arrives at the Rolls Buildings in central London to give evidence in the phone hacking trial against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN).
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He was instructed not to disclose any details of the case to anyone, and he took the opportunity to joke with the judge about FaceTiming his wife and children.

This seems to confirm that Meghan Markle and the kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet have remained stateside, choosing not to travel with Harry for the trial.

meghan markle prince archie princess lilibet montecito home© Instagram
Harry lives in Montecito with Meghan and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet

When Harry was in town for another court case earlier in the year, he decided to jet in solo, as he did for his father King Charles' coronation in May.

Harry actually missed the first day in court on Monday as he chose to fly in after his daughter Lilibet's second birthday.

Prince Harry waves to cameras © Getty Images
Prince Harry is appearing in court this week

His barrister David Sherborne was left to explain why the Duke was absent, and the judge was left "surprised" that the royal was a no-show after it was requested he attend a day before giving evidence.

What is Prince Harry's court case about?

The Duke has made claims regarding the newspaper group (MGN) using illegal methods such as phone hacking to obtain information about him in order to run stories over a 10-year-period.

Prince Harry gets out of a car outside of the High Court
Prince Harry gets out of a car outside of the High Court

Speaking to ITV’s Tom Bradby regarding his bombshell memoir "Spare", Harry talked about his continued 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?"

WATCH: Prince William voices concerns for Prince Harry's privacy in unearthed clip at home

What has Prince Harry said in court?

In Prince Harry's witness statement, he detailed many parts of his childhood and teenage years and how they were affected by stories that ran in the press.

As a child, every single one of these articles played an important and destructive role in my growing up," he said.

The royal admitted: "Everything felt as though I was under 24-hour surveillance," referring to being followed by paparazzi.

Harry leaving car outside court © Getty Images
The Duke of Sussex has given evidence at the Mirror Group Phone hacking trial

He also blamed the press for the breakdown of his and Chelsy Davy's relationship.

"These kinds of articles made me feel as though my relationship with Chelsy was always set to be doomed," he said. 

READ: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle keep children safe with stringent security at private mansion – details

"Ultimately, these factors led her to make the decision that a Royal life was not for her, which was incredibly upsetting for me at the time." he continued.

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