This morning, the Duke of Sussex arrived at the High Court in London to take the stand—the first time a royal has entered the witness box since 1891.
As an aside, because I do love history, Edward VII while still the Prince of Wales, attended a house party at Tranby Croft, Yorkshire, in 1890. To really boil down the story, one of the members of the house party was accused of cheating at baccarat. He signed an agreement never to play cards again in return for the silence of the guests on the matter. Someone didn’t keep the secret, though. When the rumors started circulating, a suit ensued for slander, and Edward was called to the stand in the course of the case. Apparently, the last time a royal had been compelled as a witness was in the 15th century.
Anyway, back to our modern day prince. I have been sifting through the various reports of Harry’s time in the witness box today, and it sounds like it was quite the show. Just to start with, Harry submitted a 55-page witness statement ahead of time. In many respects, it is the CliffsNotes to Spare. You can read it here: