Prince Harry didn’t let his demeanor crack during the visit to his home country as he conducted engagements for charities he supports and the events for the Invictus Games last week.
He was an absolute delight in all appearances, especially after the Duke of Sussex had the family reunion for his wife and children with the King. All these events somewhat distracted the public from the massive legal bill that Harry had been slapped with after the major loss in the phone-hacking case.
Now that Harry is back in Montecito, the reality has come crashing back with a brutal blow delivered by the judges after the King’s son issued a scathing response to the verdict.
Harry and six other claimants, Sir Elton John, David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, Sir Simon Hughes, and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, have to pay up to £50m in legal fees. The royal had called the decision a “complete and obvious whitewash.”
King’s Council and former justice secretary, Alex Chalk, slammed Harry for his statement. A King’s Counsel (KC) is an elite status given to senior lawyers (usually barristers or advocates) by the Crown in Commonwealth countries.
“Expressing disagreement with a judgment is perfectly reasonable. But Harry’s attack on a High Court judge was over the top, personal and unacceptable,” he told The Times.
“Judges act in the name of the King and swear an oath of allegiance to the sovereign. That’s how our constitution works, as Harry should know better than most. However disappointed he was with the result, insulting one of HM’s judges is a line he shouldn’t have crossed.”
Chalk’s comments add to the mounting criticism Harry has faced since the ruling, with the substantial legal fees now overshadowing what had otherwise been seen as a successful string of public appearances during his UK visit. The contrast between his warm reception at charity events and the Invictus Games and the frosty legal aftermath now awaiting him back home has not gone unnoticed by royal commentators.
For now, Harry and his fellow claimants remain on the hook for the multimillion-pound bill, with no indication yet of whether an appeal or further legal challenge is being considered.