Ahead of Prince Harry appearing in court for his hacking case against the Daily Mirror, his famous relatives are bracing for impact. According to an insider, the royal family is expecting the worst when it comes to Harry's testimony after all the dirt he's shared about them already.
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Harry is currently in London, prepared to appear in court.
The hacking trial officially began on Monday, but Harry was still en route to the UK, so he missed the opening statements. Now, though, he's ready to be there in person. A "highly placed palace source," however, is telling Page Six that his family would rather he just not.
The royals are supposedly 'privately bracing themselves.'
Though the insider said that Harry likely believes that fighting this battle in court is actually a way to "protect the reputation of the monarchy," it's not likely that the royals feel the same way.
"Certainly, they avoid confrontation with the media in most instances. And litigation is so lengthy, stressful and unpredictable, not to mention expensive," the source said.
There's also a deeper reason why this court case might make the royals nervous.
The lawyer for the Mirror, Andrew Green KC, has already said that the intel they've published about Harry "came from information disclosed by or on behalf of royal households or members of the royal family."
This could lead to members of the family getting exposed in court, which they obviously would want to avoid. But there's no taking it back now …
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At the same time, a symbol of Harry and William's brotherly relationship has been taken down in London.
This week, news broke that a portrait of Prince William and Prince Harry that once hung in the National Portrait Gallery has been taken down after the museum opened back up following a refurbishment.
Kensington Palace has confirmed that it didn't request the portrait be taken down, and the gallery said in a statement to The Times that it was actually part of a touring exhibit that is no longer on the road.
"This portrait by Nicky Philipps was included in a touring exhibition — Tudors to Windsors — which travelled between 2018 and 2021. The portrait was last displayed at the gallery between March and August 2018," the statement explained.
Harry began testifying on Tuesday morning.
According to CNN, Harry has been offering commentary in court on the 33 articles being used as evidence of the Mirror reporting on him with information gathered by illegal and unethical means.
Things are just getting started, so hopefully, the royals really are prepared for anything this court case might throw their way.
