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Prince Harry’s current legal crusade against British tabloid newspapers has left his father, King Charles, allegedly “sad” and “bewildered”, says a Palace insider.
The Duke of Sussex’s lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers sees him accusing the conglomerate of more than a decade of phone hacking to ascertain scoops for dozens of stories about the prince. He alleges the articles published about his private life caused him great “distress”.
Harry’s 55-page witness statement included his opinion that the British press and English government was “at rock bottom”. It’s commentary that The Sunday Times says violates the constitutional requirement for the royal family to be “above politics”.
Prince Harry leaves the High Court after giving evidence in London. Photo / AP
And his position and ongoing legal battle has done nothing but trouble his father, the newly crowned King Charles, says a Palace insider.
“The King brings Harry up every time I see him. I don’t think we’ve moved past sad and bewildered, but there’s a bit more frustration at his behaviour because it just keeps going,” the source allegedly said.
And while he is reportedly despairing over his son’s stance, he is keeping him at arm’s length, including not inviting him to his 75th birthday parade later this week, reports the New York Post.
It is also understood the father and son didn’t meet up despite the prince, who is fifth in line to the throne, being in the UK for his legal proceedings.
His decision to sue the newspaper conglomerate only came about after a chance meeting with his now lawyer David Sherborne in 2018.
David Sherborne, Prince Harry's lead lawyer. Photo / AP
It is alleged the lawyer convinced the prince that he had a case, even though, according to a Palace insider, the prince had never raised concerns about phone hacking with courtiers at the time the articles now in question were published. Nor has he been able to provide definitive evidence that journalists did indeed employ these illegal means to garner information, reports the New York Post.
A source claiming to be close to the prince has accused him of forgetting his position as a royal family member.
“I think he’s been sitting in the Californian sunshine for a long time, hanging out with James Corden [the actor and TV host] and has lost all the instincts on how to do this, how to conduct himself carefully, still as a member of the royal family,” they said.
Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex are seen on May 16. Photo / Getty Images
“He’s lost the knack of what he can and can’t say and there is no one around him to say, ‘No, Harry, you can’t say that, take that bit out’. It’s embarrassing for him and for Britain, for a prince to be saying, ‘We’ve got a s**t government.’”
Prince Harry stood down as a senior royal alongside his wife, Meghan Markle, in 2018. The pair moved to Markle’s home country, America, where they now live in California with their two children, Archie and Lilibet.
The pair have launched a tirade of claims against the press and Harry’s family via an interview with Oprah, their Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghanand Harry’s bombshell memoir, Spare.
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