What it was really like in court as Prince Harry testified - Inside the Palace

WHAT IT WAS REALLY LIKE IN COURT AS HARRY TESTIFIED

Want to know what it is really like, sitting inside a packed courtroom with Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex?

Well, today is your lucky day...

Although he only gave evidence for two and a half hours, his presence made global headlines.

Watching him, I could sense real anger, frustration and a determination to have his day in court.

The prince believes he is one of several victims of alleged unlawful information gathering by the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL).

Seven high-profile claimants, including Sir Elton John, Liz Hurley, Sadie Frost, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, David Furnish and Sir Simon Hughes, are collectively suing the publisher.

They want accountability and an apology from the newspaper group, which allegedly paid private investigators to illegally gather information about them and their associates.

ANL denies all the allegations and is prepared to defend the integrity of its journalism during the nine-week trial.

In the witness box, Prince Harry was frosty when ANL's barrister questioned his evidence.

Twice, he had to be reminded by the judge that he was only there to answer questions, not argue his case.

The duke reluctantly complied, but I could tell he wanted to say so much more about what he believed he went through.

I understand Harry had been preparing for this moment for many years.

At times, during his separate evidence against Mirror Group Newspapers in 2023, he seemed flustered and not across the detail - he did go on to win the case regardless.

This time, however, he seemed prepared and delivered confident answers to many of ANL's barristers' tough questions.

ANL put it to Prince Harry that he had a leaky circle of friends who would volunteer information to Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday journalists.

Harry's body language became very defensive, as he insisted his friends were not leaky and claimed if he had suspicions, he would have cut off all contact with them.

It was then put to Harry that the journalists were simply doing their jobs, finding legitimate and legal contacts on the ground, particularly in African countries, to provide information.

Prince Harry questioned how the journalists knew he would be in a specific country in the first place, without the use of unlawfully gathered information.

The King's son also insisted that Royal Communications would only give journalists information about his work, or the wider institution - not a running commentary on his love life.

He also claims he was forced to have good working relationships with members of the royal press pack, despite what he sees as the unpleasant stories written about him.

I understand the prince feels he was able to challenge and expose what he alleges are significant exaggerations and falsities made by multiple Mail Group journalists regarding the level of access and their personal relationship with him.

The duke became visibly emotional when he talked about the toll the litigation has had on him, suggesting the Mail had tried to punish Harry for standing up to them.

He said: "I think it's fundamentally wrong to put us through this again when all we [claimants] required is an apology and some accountability.

"It's a horrible experience, and the worse bit of it is by standing up here, they continue to come after me and make my wife's life an absolute misery".

His face was genuine; his battle with the British tabloids has clearly taken its toll.

However, the challenge for Harry is that the judge will not be swayed by emotions; Mr Justice Nicklin will only weigh up the evidence in front of him.

It is up to him to decide if the seven claimants are victims of unlawful information gathering, or not.

We have also only heard from claimant witnesses so far, and ANL are prepared for several former and current journalists to defend their work as legitimate and lawful.

Unlike News Group Newspapers, which settled with Prince Harry and other claimants out of court with an admission of unlawful information gathering and an apology, Associated Newspapers is determined to defend itself - despite the astronomical legal costs.

A spokesman for ANL said: "The publisher stands by its previous statements that the claims are preposterous and without foundation, and says in its defence submission that the case brought by the Prince and others is ‘an affront to the hard-working journalists whose reputations and integrity, as well as those of Associated itself, are wrongly traduced.

"It says that the stories concerned, many of which were published 20 or more years ago, and not subject to any complaint at the time, were the product of responsible journalism based on legitimate sources."

The case is expected to continue at the High Court for the next two months.

PRINCE WILLIAM KEEPS HIS PROMISE TO INSTALL ECO GADGETS IN HIS HOMES

Following GB News' exclusive report in November, Kensington Palace has confirmed that the Prince of Wales has installed new eco gadgets in his three homes: Forest Lodge in Berkshire, Kensington Palace in London, and Anmer Hall in Norfolk.

Confirmation came as Prince William visited MATTER, a 2025 Earthshot Prize Finalist, which is tackling the growing global problem of microplastic pollution.

The company has developed filters that can catch microplastics entering our waterways and reduce ocean pollution.

An estimated 171 trillion microplastic particles contaminate the world's oceans and are increasingly found in human bodies.

There are fears that this is linked to serious health risks.

The filters in Prince William's homes are the domestic filtrations systems, which can be fitted to normal household washing machines.

During his visit, the prince met members of the team and took part in a hands-on demonstration of the filter system.

Adam Root, founder and chief executive of MATTER, created the product at his mother-in-law’s dining table with a £250 grant from the King’s Trust.

I understand Prince William is keen to help scale up the technology and has already convened brand partners to discuss how this can be achieved.

He also has plans to install the technology in the wider Royal Household, but it is unknown if this has happened yet.

Perhaps a Royal Warrant may be issued one day for the Bristol-based eco-firm, but rules state the Royal Family has to have used the product for five years before issuing one.

QUEEN CAMILLA LAUNCHES MAJOR SCIENTIFIC STUDY INTO MENTAL BENEFITS OF READING

The Queen's Reading Room charity is expected to launch a major scientific study into the impact of book clubs on mental health.

Her Majesty is a passionate reader and has spent decades encouraging children and adults to read, which has already been proven to reduce stress.

Research by the Queen's Reading Room in 2024 revealed that just five minutes of reading a work of fiction can immediately reduce stress by nearly 20 per cent, and improve concentration and focus by as much as 11 per cent.

During the coronavirus lockdown, the Queen launched her Instagram book club, which has now reached millions of people around the world.

The new neurological study announced this week is expected to look at the physiological and psychological effects of reading together in shared groups.

The investigation will look at how the collective experience of shared reading could alleviate stress, forge stronger social bonds and improve wellbeing.

Professor Wass from the University of East London is leading the study, and said: “While previous research has shown the benefits of reading alone, far less is known about the impact of shared reading on stress, social connection and mental wellbeing.

"By applying rigorous neuroscientific methods to shared reading groups and book clubs, we aim to build a clearer evidence base for how these collective experiences shape connection and belonging."

The charity is aiming to publish the results by World Mental Health Day in October.