Prince Harry’s Spare read aloud in High Court as memoir used in legal battle

During his evidence, the duke was shown a historic newspaper article reporting a private conversation involving his former girlfriend, Chelsy Davy.

As questioning continued, the court was then referred to passages from Harry’s memoir Spare in which he described the same period and events.

Extracts from the book were read aloud in court and put to the duke as part of the evidence being examined, according to the Times.

The references formed part of broader questioning about whether information contained in press coverage could have been obtained through lawful means.

As questioning continued, Mr Justice Nicklin intervened to remind the duke of the limits of his role as a witness.

“You are doing exactly what lots of litigants do,” Mr Justice Nicklin told the court, saying Harry was “arguing back to the barrister about the evidence that is being put to you, when your role is simply to answer the questions”.

The judge added that challenges to the reliability of evidence were matters for legal submissions rather than for witnesses giving evidence.

The duke’s lawyers have said the case concerns alleged unlawful information gathering, including the use of private investigators and other intrusive methods, relating to articles published over a number of years.

ANL has strongly denied wrongdoing and is defending the claims.

Harry is one of seven claimants in the trial, alongside Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish, actress Elizabeth Hurley, actress Sadie Frost, former Liberal Democrat MP Sir Simon Hughes, and campaigner Baroness Doreen Lawrence.

The duke’s appearance in the witness box was shorter than initially expected, lasting around two hours, after the timetable shifted earlier in the week.

In a final exchange at the end of his evidence, Harry described the process as “a recurring traumatic experience” after being asked by his barrister, David Sherborne, how it felt to read ANL’s defence.

Proceedings continued on Thursday, January 22, with Ms Hurley giving evidence.

Harry returned to the Royal Courts of Justice in central London to show support for the other claimants, after a spokesman indicated he would attend again “to support, and show solidarity with, the other claimants”.

Elsewhere on Thursday, Harry made a surprise appearance at Parliament, visiting Baroness Doreen Lawrence in the House of Lords, a co-claimant in the case.

The trial, which began on Monday, January 19, is expected to run for several weeks. The court has heard that the dispute centres on whether information used for particular articles was obtained lawfully.

ANL is insisting its journalism was legitimately sourced and that the claimants’ allegations are unfounded.

Proceedings are scheduled to continue until March, when the trial is expected to conclude. A judgement will be delivered in written form at a subsequent date.