Courtroom ‘in laughter’ as Prince Harry questioned over his royal title

The prince took to the witness stand this week

Prince Harry remains locked in a lawsuit with Associated Newspapers Limited and has spent time at the High Court in London this week, where he took to the witness stand to give evidence against the publisher.

The Duke of Sussex was reportedly deeply emotional during his appearance, at one point choking on his words as he spoke about the “misery” he claims alleged unlawful information gathering has caused his wife, Meghan Markle.

However, amid the serious tone of the case, there was also an unexpected moment that reportedly drew laughter from the courtroom.

Harry sparked laughter in the courtroom this week (Credit: Victoria Jones/Shutterstock)

Prince Harry sparks laughter amid lawsuit

According to reports, ahead of giving evidence this week, Prince Harry was questioned about how he should be addressed in court.

David Sherborne, who is representing the Duke of Sussex and other claimants, asked whether Harry should be referred to as His Royal Highness.

Harry reportedly replied simply: “Same as last time.”

When pressed further on what that title was, the prince is said to have paused before admitting: “I can’t remember.”

The comment allegedly caused a ripple of laughter in the courtroom. Mr Sherborne then clarified that Harry had previously been addressed as “Prince Harry”.

David Sherborne is representing Prince Harry in his lawsuit (Credit: Tayfun Salci/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock)

Prince Harry testified in High Court

Despite that brief moment of humour, the atmosphere inside the courtroom was otherwise far from light-hearted.

Prince Harry spoke openly about the emotional impact the case has had on him. He claims that repeated intrusions into his private life were carried out by journalists working for Associated Newspapers Limited, the publisher of the Daily Mail.

The duke is one of several high-profile figures involved in the case. Others include Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish, campaigner Baroness Doreen Lawrence, politician Sir Simon Hughes, and actors Sadie Frost and Elizabeth Hurley.

Harry’s claims against Associated Newspapers Limited

The group are pursuing legal action over allegations of unlawful information gathering. They claim information used in articles was obtained through illegal methods, including phone tapping and blagging private records.

Associated Newspapers Limited has denied all allegations.

While giving evidence, Harry spoke about the long-term effect the case has had on his mental wellbeing. He admitted that the ordeal left him feeling deeply paranoid and said it placed significant strain on his personal relationships.

The Duke of Sussex admits to ‘paranoia’

Harry told the court how the situation affected his relationship with former girlfriend Chelsy Davy.

He said he was “really worried something bad was going to happen” during their time together.

In written evidence, he explained: “I was never suspicious of Chelsy in relation to stories like this, but I was of her friends. If I saw this story at the time, I would have been very frustrated and angry. This sort of intrusion was terrifying for Chelsy. It made her feel like she was being hunted and the press had caught her.

He continued: “It was terrifying for me too because there was nothing I could do to stop it and now she was in my world.

“She was ‘shaken’ and I was really paranoid about trying to protect our privacy, as the article says.”