Prince Harry has made a surprise appearance at the High Court as legal proceedings began in a phone-tapping and privacy case involving Associated Newspapers.
It is believed to be the first time the Duke of Sussex has been back in the UK since the funeral last September of his grandmother, the Queen.
He is among a group of claimants making accusations against the publisher of the Daily Mail newspaper.
Associated Newspapers denies the allegations and a preliminary High Court hearing starting today will consider legal arguments, and a judge will decide whether it will go any further.
Footage showed a smiling prince flanked by bodyguards arriving at at the Royal Courts of Justice in central London, dressed in a suit, tie and black winter coat, and surrounded by journalists.
At one point, he bumped into a photographer as he walked through the gates of the courthouse.
As proceedings got under way, Harry sat towards the back of the courtroom, occasionally writing in a small black notebook.
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Everything you need to know about Prince Harry’s High Court case
‘Harry doesn’t need to be at the High Court today’
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The 38-year-old’s return to the UK comes amid tensions with Buckingham Palace over bombshell disclosures made in his controversial memoir, Spare, in which he laid bare his troubled relationship with his father, King Charles, and brother William, the Prince of Wales.
Harry is not expected to be seeing his family. Buckingham Palace has said the King is not in Windsor or London and will be leaving for a state visit to Germany on Wednesday.
Sky’s arts and entertainment correspondent Katie Spencer, at the High Court, said: “Absolutely nobody was expecting this because really there is no need for Prince Harry to be appearing in court this week.
“I tried to put a question to him about why he was here today and he ignored me pretty much and just said ‘good morning’.
“The first signs we got that he may be turning up were barriers went up outside and a couple of police vans turned up.”
She added: “The prince has spoken about the fact that he wants to make this his life’s work – that there are people who should be held accountable for violating his and his family’s privacy.
“He’s here today, he wants the world to know he is very serious about this, and he wants this to go to trial.”
Image: Actress Elizabeth Hurley is among the claimants in the case
Who is involved in the court case?
Harry is bringing the action along with others including actresses Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost, pop star Sir Elton John and his husband, filmmaker David Furnish, and Baroness Doreen Lawrence of Clarendon OBE.
Sir Elton and Frost were also in court for Monday’s proceedings – the start of a four-day hearing.
Image: Sir Elton John arrives at the High Court
They allege they have been victims of “abhorrent criminal activity” and “gross breaches of privacy” by Associated Newspapers Limited – and announced in October they were bringing claims for misuse of private information against ANL, also the publisher of The Mail On Sunday and MailOnline.
It is alleged the unlawful acts included hiring private investigators to secretly place listening devices inside cars and homes, the recording of private phone conversations, accessing bank accounts through illicit means and paying police officials for inside information.
David Sherborne, representing Harry and the other high-profile individuals, said in written submissions to the High Court the allegations included “illegally intercepting voicemail messages, listening into live landline calls, obtaining private information such as itemised phone bills or medical records by deception or ‘blagging’, using private investigators to commit these unlawful information gathering acts on their behalf and even commissioning the breaking and entry into private property”.
“They range through a period from 1993 to 2011, even continuing beyond until 2018,” the barrister added.
Some details of singer-songwriter Sir Elton and his husband’s case against ANL were also revealed. The court heard they found the unexplained disclosure of their private information in the press “frightening” and as a result have someone watching cameras in their home every night.
Prince Harry v Associated Newspapers: What is alleged?
Prince Harry is among a group of claimants including Sir Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost, accusing the publisher of breaches of privacy including phone-tapping and bugging people’s homes.
Accusations include:
• The hiring of private investigators to secretly place listening devices inside people’s cars and homes
• The commissioning of individuals to surreptitiously listen into and record people’s live, private telephone calls while they were taking place
• The payment of police officials, with corrupt links to private investigators, for inside, sensitive information
• The impersonation of individuals to obtain medical information from private hospitals, clinics, and treatment centres by deception
• The accessing of bank accounts, credit histories and financial transactions through illicit means and manipulation
Lawyers representing ANL told the hearing, before Mr Justice Nicklin, the privacy claims are “stale” and should be dismissed without trial.
Adrian Beltrami KC, in written submissions, argued that the legal actions have been brought too late.
Quoting from Harry’s letter of claim, he continued: “Indeed, the Duke was aware throughout this period of the intense interest in his life shown by the media and by Associated, of ‘strange things happening around his phone communications’, of ‘unexplained disclosures of private information’ in Associated’s publications and of journalists from Associated ‘regularly turning up at different locations which you would never expect them to, including South Africa… despite the extreme lengths my security team and I went to in order to protect my security and privacy’.”
ANL has previously described the accusations as “preposterous smears” and a “pre-planned and orchestrated attempt to drag the Mail titles into the phone-hacking scandal”.
A spokesperson for the publisher has also said the allegations are “unsubstantiated and highly defamatory claims, based on no credible evidence”.
Image: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped away from royal duties in 2020. Pic: AP
Who else is Prince Harry taking to court?
It is the latest of several cases brought against the tabloid press by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex over the last few years, and this is just one of several cases Prince Harry is involved in.
He is also suing News Group Newspapers (NGN), the publisher of The Times, The Sunday Times and The Sun newspapers (as well as the now-defunct News of the World) for alleged phone-hacking.
The Sun has always denied phone-hacking took place at the paper, and the publisher has not admitted any unlawful conduct at the title.
The Israeli embassy has said it’s “deeply disturbed” by chants of “death to the IDF” at Glastonbury – as police also investigate the incident.
Video shows one of the members of Bob Vylan shouting the slogan into the mic and some of the crowd joining in.
The duo were performing ahead of a performance by Kneecap, the Irish act who the prime minister said should be ditched from the line-up.
“The Embassy of Israel in the United Kingdom is deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival,” a statement said.
It said slogans like Saturday’s chant “advocate for the dismantling of the State of Israel”.
Image: The BBC said some of the comments by Bob Vylan were ‘deeply offensive’. Pic: PA
The post on X added: “When such messages are delivered before tens of thousands of festivalgoers and met with applause, it raises serious concerns about the normalisation of extremist language and the glorification of violence.”
Avon and Somerset Police said they are looking at whether a criminal offence was committed.
Bob Vylan also performed in front of a screen quoting a claim that Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to genocide.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to BBC boss Tim Davie for an “urgent explanation” about what due diligence it carried out into Bob Vylan.
Image: Thousands watched the set on the West Holts stage. Pic: PA
A spokesman said the government strongly condemned the “threatening comments” by the group, whose X bio describes them as a “punk/rap/alt thing”.
A BBC statement said: “Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan’s set were deeply offensive.
“During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language.
“We have no plans to make the performance available on demand.”
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch re-posted a clip of the incident and called it “grotesque”.
“Violence against Jews isn’t edgy. The West is playing with fire if we allow this sort of behaviour to go unchecked,” she said on X.
A statement from Glastonbury Festival said it “does not condone hate speech or incitement to violence of any kind from its performers”.
Image: Kneecap also performed – with the BBC not showing them live. Pic: Reuters
Irish group Kneecap followed Bob Vylan – with the broadcaster not carrying their performance live amid concern over what they might do or say.
However, it’s understood their show will be made available on demand after a review.
One of its members, Liam Og O hAnnaidh, was charged with a terror offence in May after being accused of displaying a flag in support of proscribed terror group Hezbollah at a gig.
Image: Pic: Reuters
Image: There were Palestinian flags among the crowd for Kneecap’s show. Pic: Reuters
Bandmate Naoise O Caireallain told the packed Glastonbury crowd they should “start a riot outside the courts”, before clarifying: “No riots just love and support, and support for Palestine.”
O hAnnaidh – also known as Mo Chara – wore a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf for Saturday’s set and told fans he was a “free man”.
There was a moment in Calum Scott’s life when he found himself contemplating taking his own life.
The 36-year-old singer-songwriter tells Sky News: “I did get to a point where I had a very low self-esteem, very low self-worth… I thought, ‘I can’t see how my life will get any better from this moment’.”
He says it was only the thought of the “shattering” impact his death would have on his mum Debbie that pulled him back from the edge and gave him the momentum to reach out for help.
“What I thought was my lowest moment was probably my most defining moment in terms of being able to pick myself up… and to walk away, albeit with lots of tears and a lot of emotion.
“That was the moment that I needed to pursue better mental health.”
Image: Calum Scott has achieved a billion streams of his music. Pic: Tom Cockram
He’s since racked up a billion streams of his music, joining the likes of The Rolling Stones, Whitney Houston and ABBA in his achievement.
His biggest UK chart hit – a cover of Robyn’s Dancing On My Own – reached number two in the singles chart, with the video having been viewed more than half a billion times on YouTube.
It’s a future he would have found hard to comprehend just a decade ago.
Scott was working in the HR department of Hull City Council when Britain’s Got Talent made him an overnight star after receiving a “golden buzzer” (an automatic pass into the semi-finals) from judge Simon Cowell.
Scott reached the final – which was won by Jules O’Dwyer and her dog Matisse – and the singer’s success was the things dreams are made of. But he admits, it wasn’t all roses.
Image: Calum performing with Take That at the King’s coronation. Pic: PA
“That was when I first started having panic attacks,” he says. “For me to suddenly start down that road was scary.
“There’s no handbook on how to deal with fame. That doesn’t exist, as far as I know.”
A notoriously tough business, Scott says the music scene is one where “people constantly want something from you”.
The death of One Direction star Liam Payne – who rose to fame on talent show X Factor – last year was a stark reminder of the pressure on those in the public eye.
Image: Liam Payne died last year. Pic: Reuters
Scott says Payne’s death could be the “wake-up call that the industry needs” to highlight “the pressure, the expectation (and) the workload” on young artists.
“You need that balance to be able to be creative, and the industry is where art meets consumerism,” he says.
“I think you’ve got to be careful that that line doesn’t start to impose on your soul and in your heart.”
‘A prisoner in your own body’
For Scott, his desire to perform in front of thousands has lived alongside his battle with the debilitating mental health condition, body dysmorphia.
“It’s an industry where people are not only listening to the music, but they’re looking at you and scrutinising you, and it’s difficult to put yourself out there – to be enjoyed and to entertain people – but also to be criticised,” he says.
Estimated to affect up to 2% of the adult population in the UK, according to the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation, sufferers spend hours worrying about perceived flaws in their appearance, which can severely impact work, social life and relationships.
Scott says: “For me, growing up, I had a few issues with my sexuality and my dad leaving when I was young and losing all my friends. A lot of reasons compounded down as to why I ended up with body dysmorphia.”
Image: Pic: Tom Cockram
At his worst, obsessively documenting his perceived flaws, Scott says: “For anybody who’s suffering with body dysmorphia, you feel a prisoner in your own body, and it’s awful.
“With social media, it’s difficult because every facet of every part of our life is documented on Instagram in the perfect way. And that’s just not how life works.
“People aren’t putting their worst parts on social media. Somebody wakes up at six in the morning, they’re beautiful and their hair’s done, but somebody set that camera up to record that moment. It’s not real.”
‘The favourite part of my job’
One thing that is real is Scott’s connection to his fans.
Image: Calum at this year’s Brit Awards. Pic: Reuters
“My favourite part of my job is going to a gig and performing the songs that have resonated with people in such different, vast ways, and watching it happen in real time,” he says.
“It’s like magic, you know? Like the stuff you used to watch – Paul Daniels on the TV, and my god, it just used to buzz you. It’s the same thing.”
With a new album and a 48-city world tour ahead of him, Scott’s story is an inspiring one.
A mental health advocate, his message of hope is one he hopes to share with his fans and beyond: “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t give myself the opportunity to. It’s important to just stay headstrong, believe in yourself. Anything’s possible.”
Calum Scott’s third studio album, Avenoir, is out on 12 September, followed by his world tour, which kicks off on 12 October in Porto, Portugal.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK
Declaring a ‘Pulp Summer’ on the screen behind them, the band appeared on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage for another of the festival’s “surprise” performances.
A group of people mysteriously walked on to the stage in waterproof ponchos before the “secret” was revealed and the Pulp homage to fellow Saturday night performer Charli XCX’s Brat Summer appeared on screen.
Like Lewis Capaldi’s unannounced set on Friday, everyone at Glastonbury knew who to expect by the time Jarvis Cocker and co began at 6.15pm, thanks to the bookies’ odds, “secret” sources and whispers around the festival.
The Sheffield band were welcomed with a huge turnout at the festival’s biggest stage.
Image: Jarvis Cocker was welcomed with a huge turnout at the festival’s biggest stage. Pic: PA
In tribute to their headline performance in 1995, when they famously took over from The Stone Roses at short notice, Pulp started with Sorted For E’s And Whizz and then straight into Disco 2000 – two songs played live for the first time on this same stage 30 years ago.
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“It was the very, very first time they were played – you could say they were born in Glastonbury,” Cocker told the crowd.
From the Mercury Prize-winning Different Class, the album that propelled Pulp to topping the charts and platinum sales, and one of the most critically acclaimed records of the 1990s, the songs prompted a mass sing-along – and jump-along from an enthusiastic crowd who knew every word.
“My name’s Jarvis, this is Pulp,” Cocker announced, just in case anyone was in any doubt. “Sorry for people who were expecting Patchwork. Did you know that we were going to play?”
Image: Cocker mischievously asked crowds: ‘Did you know that we were going to play?’ Pic: PA
After their 1990s hits, the band launched into Spike Island, the lead single from More – their first album in 24 years, released earlier this month.
It was a set full of memorable moments – including the Red Arrows flying over – and Cocker picking up an acoustic guitar for the poignant Something Changed.
Do You Remember The First Time? And Babies also featured, before the band of course ended on their biggest hit – Common People.
Pulp’s appearance came after keyboard player Candida Doyle appeared to confirm the band would not perform at the festival in a BBC interview beforehand, despite much speculation that they would fill one of the unannounced slots.
Image: Pulp performed songs including Sorted For E’s And Whizz, Disco 2000 and Common People. Pic: PA
“We wanted to, just because it’s the 30th anniversary and that kind of thing, and they weren’t interested,” she said. “And then we were thinking maybe next year, and then they’re not doing it next year.”
Along with the headliners and the Sunday afternoon “legends slots”, unannounced sets from the likes of the Foo Fighters, The Killers, and Radiohead have become some of the most talked-about performances at Glastonbury in recent years.
As well as Capaldi and Pulp, acts including Lorde and Haim have also popped up as “secrets” this year.
Pulp have a history of surprises at the festival, having performed a secret set on the Park Stage in 2011 following their first hiatus.
Formed in 1978, they released three albums in the 1980s and early ’90s before finding mainstream success with 1994’s His And Hers.
Different Class came 18 months later in October 1995 and Pulp became huge, helped in no small part by their memorable performance at Glastonbury earlier in the year.
Thirty years later, they have entered the festival’s history books once again.