Prince Harry's lawsuit against UK publisher has surprise change in schedule

Prince Harry, who pursuing legal action against Associated Newspaper Limited over alleged unlawful information gathering practices along with six other A-lister complainants, is having to make a big change in schedule.

The Duke of Sussex was expected to take the witness stand on Thursday but it seems that his testimony will be move up to Wednesday after his legal team requested the surprise change.

The opening arguments from the case had been wrapped on both sides on Tuesday, the second day of the trial, hence Harry’s barrister David Sherborne said that he would “endeavour to have the Duke of Sussex here at 2pm tomorrow”.

The presiding judge has now asked King Charles’s younger son to give evidence on Wednesday morning instead of Thursday as previously scheduled.

Prince Harry is joined by musician Elton John and husband David Furnish, actors Liz Hurley and Sadie Frost, anti-racism campaigner Doreen Lawrence and former lawmaker Simon Hughes in suing the Daily Mail publisher for illegal practices for their articles including phone tapping and obtaining private records through deception.

The publisher’s barrister, Antony White KC, has called the allegations “preposterous smears”, and stressed that their journalists had access to legitimate sources for information.

They also claimed that Prince Harry’s “social circle was and was known to be a good source of leaks or disclosure of information to the media about what he got up to in his private life.”