The hubris of Prince Harry

As Prince Harry walked into the High Court for his second day of cross-examination, he might have been forgiven for approaching the stand with trepidation. The Duke of Sussex’s first day being grilled by Andrew Green KC did not cover him in glory. It is unlikely that the Prince has ever found himself under such close public scrutiny before in his life. Soft interviews, with the likes of old pal Tom Bradby and new chum Oprah Winfrey, did not prepare him for Green’s polite but probing questioning. Although Harry never gave into the petulance and anger he has displayed on other occasions, his shrugging utterances of ‘I don’t remember’ and ‘I can’t be sure. You would have to ask the journalists themselves’ made him seem a less than impressive witness.

Yet it is clear that Harry’s appearance in court is not solely about whether he wins or loses the phone-hacking case against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), but more an opportunity to state his credo in public once again.