Prince Harry is set to break a 130-year tradition as he becomes the first senior British royal to testify in court. Next week, he will take the witness stand at London's

High Court in his legal battle against a newspaper group that he accuses of engaging in unlawful practices.

Prince Harry, the younger son of King Charles, will give evidence as part of the lawsuit filed by him and over 100 other celebrities and high-profile individuals against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), the publisher of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, and Sunday People.

This unprecedented court appearance by a senior member of the royal family has not occurred since 1870 when Edward VII, prior to his ascension to the throne, testified in a divorce case and later in a slander trial related to a card game.

Prince Harry, currently fifth-in-line to the throne, has been consistently in the public eye over the past six months due to his legal disputes with the British press, as well as the release of his memoir and Netflix documentary series, in which he made allegations against other senior royals colluding with tabloid newspapers.

Given the global interest surrounding Prince Harry, his court appearance is expected to attract widespread attention.

David Yelland, a senior communications adviser and former editor of Rupert Murdoch's Sun tabloid newspaper (also facing a lawsuit from Prince Harry), noted that the royal family has typically sought to avoid court cases due to the lack of control over the situation. Yelland expressed the belief that such cases often result in mutually assured destruction, with no party emerging unscathed.

More than 100 individuals are suing MGN, with Prince Harry and three others selected as test cases. The ongoing trial, which began last month, has revealed evidence of MGN journalists or private investigators engaging in extensive phone-hacking and other unlawful activities to obtain information about the prince and other claimants. The claimants' lawyer, David Sherborne, has asserted that these actions were carried out with the knowledge and approval of senior editors and executives. MGN, however, denies the allegations and argues that senior figures were unaware of any hacking and had no knowledge of any wrongdoing.

Referred to as the "ultimate interview," Prince Harry's testimony will be a significant moment, as he will be subjected to cross-examination by a hostile barrister while in the witness box. Journalist and biographer of Prince Harry, Piers Morgan, who is a former editor at MGN and a prominent broadcaster, has been implicated in the hacking scandal. Morgan denies involvement in any unlawful behavior and has criticized Prince Harry for intruding on his own family's privacy. Following controversial remarks about Meghan, Harry's wife, Morgan left his position as a presenter on a TV breakfast show.

During the trial's commencement, MGN, now owned by Reach, issued an apology in court documents, admitting that on one occasion the Sunday People had unlawfully sought information about Prince Harry and acknowledging his entitlement to compensation. However, MGN has rejected the prince's other allegations, asserting a lack of evidence. Buckingham Palace is expected to be a focal point in Prince Harry's cross-examination, with MGN arguing that some information was obtained from royal aides.

MGN's documents cite instances where stories about Prince Harry emerged from interactions between his father's former deputy private secretary and Piers Morgan, who were known to have regular meals and socializing sessions together. Photo by Minerva97, Wikimedia commons.