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'Attention seeking liar': Prince Harry trolled after surprise London return for 'privacy' lawsuit hearing

''We want privacy and to be out of the public spotlight' Proceeds to have countless high court cases, writes a book,' wrote someone

LONDON, ENGLAND: Prince Harry was roasted on social media as he arrived at the London High Court on Monday, March 27, to attend a hearing in his lawsuit against Associated Newspapers Limited over allegations of unlawful information gathering. The Duke of Sussex joined a group of high-profile figures last year against the publisher of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday, and the MailOnline.

The lawsuit reportedly alleges that Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) engaged in various means of criminal activity to obtain information on high-profile figures over the years. The rest of the plaintiffs behind the legal action include Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, David Furnish, and Doreen Lawrence. The group claims they are  “victims of abhorrent criminal activity and gross breaches of privacy,” per a statement via their reps.

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Privacy lawsuit

According to CNN, ANL has been accused of hiring private investigators to carry out unlawful acts such as planting listening devices in homes and cars and recording private calls. The lawsuit also claims the publisher paid corrupt police officials to obtain inside information, engaged in impersonation and deception to obtain medical records, and even hacked into accounts and financial transactions using “illicit means and manipulation.”

The preliminary hearing is set to commence on Monday, March 27, at London’s Royal Courts of Justice, during which ANL is expected to try to have the case thrown out. The publisher has vehemently rejected the accusations as “preposterous smears” and labeled the lawsuit as a “pre-planned and orchestrated attempt to drag the Mail titles into the phone-hacking scandal,” according to PA Media. A spokesperson for ANL said the allegations were “unsubstantiated and highly defamatory claims, based on no credible evidence."

Suprise appearance

It's worth noting that Harry's surprise return to London on Monday is believed to be his first trip back to the UK since he and his wife, Meghan Markle, attended the funeral of his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022. The Sussexes have since opened up about their lives in a Netflix docu-series, 'Harry & Meghan' and the duke’s memoir, 'Spare', both of which provided further insight into his fractured relationship with the rest of the royal family. A royal source told CNN that Harry is not expected to see his brother, Prince William, adding that the Prince of Wales is not in Windsor during the school vacation.

Regardless, the Duke of Sussex was excoriated on social media after news of his surprise UK visit emerged. "Prince Harry, who’s spent the past few years ruthlessly invading the privacy of his family, friends, and acquaintances, for huge financial gain, has turned up at court in London to complain about newspapers invading his privacy," journalist Piers Morgan tweeted.

"I'm confused. Britain is so dangerous for multi-millionaire #PrinceHarry that he needs hard-pressed taxpayers to fund police protection for him. Yet, the eco-campaigner has just made a round-trip of more than 10,000 miles for a court hearing he was not required to attend?" Daily Mail editor Richard Eden commented.

"'We want privacy and to be out of the public spotlight'........... Proceeds to have countless high court cases, writes a book, has a worldwide interview, and creates controversy between himself and the Royal family. The guy is an attention-seeking liar," one Twitter user wrote. "Speaks of privacy the same man who got $20 million in January for telling his private conversations with his family," another offered. "Oh god he’s going to write about that vicious attack by the 'powerful forces' of the British press," someone else quipped.

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