Prince Harry’s persistent shadow haunts him in court
Prince Harry’s quiet courtroom battle has been anything but peaceful.
Last week, as he faced Associated Newspapers Limited in Court 76 of the Royal Courts of Justice, the Duke of Sussex was confronted with a stark reminder of the dangers that follow him.
Twice, a woman with a known obsession was spotted just metres behind him in the public gallery.
Identified immediately by his private security team, she is listed on a register of fixated individuals.
Court staff, however, were powerless to act. “It’s a public building,” a source told The Telegraph. “She has the right to be there. Obviously, it’s not ideal.”
The woman, believed to be struggling with mental health issues, has repeatedly surfaced near Harry.
She trailed him to Nigeria and breached security at a London hotel last September during the WellChild Awards, slipping into a restricted area. Two days later, she was spotted near the Centre for Blast Injury Studies.
Amid these unnerving encounters, the Prince has also been pursuing his privacy case with dogged determination, seeking accountability from Fleet Street for what he describes as decades of reckless tabloid intrusion.
Some speculate his motive spans a mix of justice, vengeance, and a protective instinct for Meghan and his children.
Neil Basu, former head of the UK Counter Terrorism unit, described the Duke’s situation as anxiety-inducing.
“Repeated run-ins with a stalker are incredibly stressful,” he said. “You never fully know where a fixation will lead roses or declarations of love, or something far more dangerous.”
The Home Office has launched a review of Harry’s security arrangements, a shift prompted by his high-profile encounters and ongoing legal battles.
Despite losing a bid for automatic state-funded protection, the Duke remains at the top of the threat radar, with his global recognition and recent media attention likely heightening the risks.
