Prince Harry struts out of legal arena like he's already won

Prince Harry stepped out of the High Court on Monday afternoon, flashing a confident grin that suggested he already felt the first round was his.

The opening day of the high-stakes privacy battle with the publishers of the Daily Mail saw hours of detailed submissions, but the Duke of Sussex appeared unfazed.

The proceedings, overseen by Mr Justice Nicklin, will restart at 10.30am on Tuesday, with Harry expected to return to court later this week to give evidence himself.

At the heart of the case are claims brought by seven public figures against Associated Newspapers Limited, the company behind the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday. 

Monday's hearing saw barrister David Sherborne begin laying out what he described as a pattern stretching back more than two decades. 

Speaking on behalf of the claimants, he alleged a sustained reliance on private investigators across Mail titles and named several individuals he said were linked to the practice.

Among the examples raised was an investigator allegedly tasked with obtaining information about a burglary at the home of the Queen's cousin. 

Sherborne also referenced Jonathan Rees, a private investigator once notorious for boasting about the reach of his information network. 

According to him, Rees had shown particular interest in the murder of Stephen Lawrence due to the intense public attention surrounding the case.

The court then turned to the individual claims, first filed in October 2022. 

Baroness Lawrence's case centers on five articles published between the late 1990s and 2007. 

Attention was later shifted to actress Sadie Frost, whose claim focuses on 11 stories and two specific incidents. 

Three journalists are primarily named across those articles. 

One draft piece, written but never published, concerned an ectopic pregnancy Frost suffered in 2003. 

Sherborne told the court the level of detail contained in the material was deeply personal, noting that even members of Frost's own family had been unaware of the situation.

As proceedings paused for the day, Prince Harry and Liz Hurley were both seen leaving the court with a smile. 

Sherborne is set to continue outlining the remaining claims when the hearing resumes, before the publishers present their own opening arguments.