Prince Harry sparks speculations as he fails to appear in UK court for testimony

King Charles III's younger son Prince Harry irritated media persons, lawyers and the judge as he failed to arrive at the High Court in London on Monday for his phone hacking showdown against the publisher of the Daily Mirror.

Harry' absence sparked speculations as some thought he skipped the hearing to get some more legal help from his trustworthy people before making any statement in the witness box.

Meanwhile, others think Harry did so to tease his royal relatives as some experts fear that the Duke may drag them into the legal battle with his statement.

But Harry's attorney, David Sherborne, told the court that the Duke will not take the stand until Tuesday, as he had been celebrating his daughter Princess Lilibet's second birthday and only flew to the UK late Sunday.

The duke's lawyer told the London court  that his client was the target of illegal information-gathering even as a young schoolboy, adding that stories about the prince were clearly a money spinner for tabloids and started when he was aged 11.

A large number of photographers and camera crews gathered outside London's High Court in anticipation of Harry's arrival for opening speeches in the case, but the Duke skipped the hearing and also irked the judge Timothy Fancourt with his absence.

The 38-year-old is set to become the first senior British royal to give evidence in court for more than a century when he testifies this week against Mirror Group Newspapers.

Meghan Markle's hubby and other high-profile figures allege that MGN Ltd engaged in illegal activities, including phone hacking, at its titles and are seeking damages. The trial, that kicked off last month days after Charles's May 6 coronation, is expected to last up to seven weeks.

Archie and Lilibet's father also made a surprise appearance at the High Court in March for a privacy claim he and others have launched against Associated Newspapers (ANL), publisher of the Daily Mail.