Royal Family

Prince Harry's legal war with the British press over alleged phone hacking is coming to a head this week when a trial is set to start ... and where he might even take the stand early.

The Duke of Sussex is reportedly expected to appear in a London court this upcoming week, and the word is ... he might even testify as early as Tuesday. The case being heard stems from a lawsuit he and others have filed against the parent company of the Daily Mirror.

This is just of a handful of publications he's suing ... all of which revolved around allegations of phone hacking, invasion of privacy and, effectively, spying on him and other members of the Royal Family dating back several years -- something PH is trying to rectify now.

The Daily Mirror case is going to be hashed out in court first, and Harry's likely testimony could actually be historic -- as he'll be the first senior Royal (or ex, rather) to testify in court as a witness offering evidence like this in a long time.

The last time it happened was way back in 1891, when King Edward VII (before he was actually king) testified in a slander case.

What Harry's suing over, in this particular case, is 33 of 150 stories about himself that the Daily Mirror published between 1995 and 2011 -- a period of time from which he claims these stories were produced via illegal tactics in Britain ... like alleged phone hacking, etc.

The Mirror has actually conceded in court docs that Harry and co. have a point about some unethical tactics they've employed over time, but they haven't fessed up on these specific stories he's citing. As such, he's dragging them into court to have it heard before a judge.

You'll recall ... Harry showed up across the pond back in March for another case he's pursuing against yet another tabloid parent company -- namely, Associated Newspapers, which publishes and distributes the Daily Mail, among other publications.

In that case, Elton John is a plaintiff as well ... as are other celebrities taking up Harry's cause in solidarity.

Like we said, he's suing a bunch of them -- and seems determined to take them all down ... one by one. If he's testifying for the Daily Mirror case, presumably he'll testify in others.

All eyes on Harold. 👀

Prince Harry's team fought like hell overseas to get police protection when he and his family are in England, but the court shot them down ... a rejection that comes amid Harry and Meghan Markle's controversial NYC "chase."

For those unaware, Harry and Meghan had their UK taxpayer-funded protection revoked in 2020 after moving away, and stepping down as working senior royals. His legal team was in court last week trying to get back that protection, but London's High Court said no way.

During the one-day hearing, Harry's attorneys claimed the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures -- which ordered the removal of his protection -- had no right to reject his bid to pay police for some security detail.

Lawyers on the other side argued allowing him the privilege would open up similar situations for wealthy people ... something they saw as dangerous, and the High Court agreed.

The hearing happened one day before the NYC "chase," -- something Harry and Meghan's camp called "near catastrophic" ... although NYPD, and others, said that account was an exaggeration.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are trying to put the squeeze on a photo agency that claimed their freelance paparazzi who followed the couple Tuesday night were not, as M&H claimed, "highly aggressive" and didn't cause a near-collision.

Harry and Meghan's legal team fired off a letter to the Backgrid photo agency, claiming in part they need the agency's footage of the "chase" to shore up their own security, adding ... "We hereby demand that Backgrid immediately provide us with copies of all photos, videos, and/or films taken last night by the freelance photographers after the couple left their event and over the next several hours."

Backgrid's lawyer has rejected the Sussex's demand, saying in a letter ... "In America, as I'm sure you know, property belongs to the owner of it: Third parties cannot just demand it be given to them, as perhaps Kings can do. Perhaps you should sit down with your client and advise them that his English rules of royal prerogative to demand that the citizenry hand over their property to the Crown were rejected by this country long ago. We stand by our founding fathers."

Backgrid says they had 4 photogs, 3 in cars and one on a bike, adding they "had no intention of causing any distress or harm, as their only tool was their cameras."

There's no legal basis for Backgrid to turn over its footage -- no lawsuit has been filed that would require the agency to turn over documents. Nevertheless, the demand was made.

As we reported, Harry and Meghan's team called their encounter with paps "near catastrophic," but NYPD sources say that's way overblown.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams is calling out the paparazzi for tailing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in a "near catastrophic" high-speed chase ... saying the whole thing is irresponsible and dangerous.

Mayor Adams weighed in on the incident Wednesday morning during a public safety announcement about retail theft ... calling the whole thing especially reckless in NYC because of the dense population and traffic. Adams was especially pissed that two NYPD officers could have been injured -- not to mention Harry, Meghan, and innocent bystanders.

The mayor added, "It's clear that the press, paparazzi, they want to get the right shot, they want to get the right story, but public safety must always be at the forefront."

As we reported, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were involved in a dangerous high-speed chase Tuesday night. The chase lasted about two hours and, according to H&M's reps, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians, and officers. Markle's mom was also in the SUV with them before they all jumped into a taxi to get away.

Adams emphasized, "I don't think there's many of us who don't recall how his mom died" -- obviously referring to Harry's mom Princess Diana, who was killed in a '97 crash after paps chased her car in Paris.

The mayor noted that it's hard to believe paps were chasing them around at full speed for the full two hours, but regardless he says even 10 minutes is too long.

Prince Harry must have had a bone-chilling case of deja vu Tuesday night after he and Meghan Markle were followed by paparazzi in what his people are calling a "near catastrophic" car chase.

As we reported, Meghan received an award at a ceremony earlier in the evening that Harry and Meghan's mom attended, after which they left and got into an SUV followed by police. Apparently, that's when the chase was on.

A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan said, "This relentless pursuit, lasting over 2 hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and 2 NYPD officers."

At some point during the chase, the SUV pulled over and the trio jumped in a New York taxi and beat a hasty retreat. It looks like the cops tried to outwit the paps by driving in a different direction than the cab.

Sources say the paparazzi were in a half-dozen blacked-out vehicles, claiming the traffic violations included driving on the sidewalk, running red lights and driving the wrong way on a one-way street.

This obviously brings back tragic memories of Harry's mom, Princess Diana, who was killed in a 1997 crash where paparazzi chased her car in Paris.

One of the searing images from the tragedy ... 12-year-old Harry and his brother, 15-year-old Prince William silently walking behind her casket.

Originally Published -- 7:37 AM PT

A scary situation for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, as a man was arrested at the couple's home for stalking ... TMZ has learned.

A rep for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office tells us they got a call Monday morning, around 2 AM, from security staffers at Harry and Meghan's Montecito mansion for a man near the property.

We're told 29-year-old Kevin Garcia Valdovinos was placed under citizen's arrest by Harry and Meghan's security at the entrance to the property. Once cops arrived, they took him into custody and booked him for misdemeanor stalking. Valdovinos was later released on $2,500 bail.

The law under which Valdovinos was arrested indicates whatever he did, he's done before ... which makes sense because he never actually made it on the property. We know he told security something that triggered this arrest, though the sheriff is not saying what that was ... it's now up to prosecutors to decide the next steps.

It's unclear if Harry and Meghan were home at the time of the incident, but it's not the first time an intruder has been arrested at or near their home.

TMZ broke the story ... back on Christmas Eve 2020, a man named Nickolas Brooks, who apparently drove all the way from Ohio, was dinged for trespassing on the property -- but he was let off with a warning. However, cops say Brooks returned yet again on December 26, 2020, and was arrested for trespassing.

We've reached out to Harry and Meghan's reps ... so far, no word back.

Meghan Markle received her own coronation of sorts Tuesday night in NYC.

The Duchess of Sussex and hubby Prince Harry flew to the Big Apple to attend a fancy-schmancy gala honoring Meghan with a Ms. Foundation Women of Vision Award from her friend and political activist Gloria Steinem.

It was Meghan's first public appearance since she skipped the coronation of her father-in-law, King Charles, and his wife, Queen Camilla, earlier this month in London.

As you know, Harry went solo to the coronation and had an awkward time with his royal family given all of their drama. Since then, Harry and Meghan have kept a low profile only being seen -- briefly we might add -- leaving a sushi restaurant in Montecito.

But now they've come out of their shell. Check out video of Meghan and Harry arriving in an SUV to the awards ceremony at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in Manhattan. As shutterbugs snapped photos, Harry jumped out of the backseat followed by Meghan, who looked stunning in a Johanna Ortiz gold dress. Meghan's mom, Doria, also tagged along.

After the three went inside, Meghan hit the stage and accepted the award from Steinem for her advocacy work to empower women. She delivered a speech, giving a shout-out to her mom and thanking Steinem for being a mentor. She also talked about the impact "Ms." magazine had on her life growing up.

Harry and Meghan then left exactly how they came in -- surrounded by paparazzi and flashing cameras. The couple jumped into the back of an SUV, which then drove off.

Meghan Markle pregnancy rumors have been swirling online for weeks now -- but based on what she and Prince Harry apparently had for dinner ... those would seem to be BS.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex hit the town Friday in Santa Barbara, where eyewitnesses say it was just the two of them as they exited a restaurant called Sushi Bar ... a stone's throw away from where they live in Montecito. Of course, some security was in tow.

As you can see, the couple was all smiles as they left the establishment -- and we're told they turned the corner to get inside a waiting SUV that was parked near the adjacent Montecito Inn, at which point they took off. Our sources say this was around 7 PM PT.

While it's unclear if they actually ate anything inside, our guess is they might've. And, seeing how this place is pretty much all about raw fish -- it's a safe bet sushi was likely ordered.

The reason that's a big deal ... there's been some murmurs of late that MM could, perhaps, have a bun in the oven. Some theorized that might've been why she skipped the coronation -- but the conjecture fired up even more so when photos of her hiking last week surfaced.

Folks noticed she appeared to have something slightly protruding under her shirt, near her stomach ... and that served as enough evidence for some to believe she was expecting.

Of course, that little extra belly pop Meg was showing off in the great outdoors could just as easily have been a fanny pack of some sort -- it really doesn't look like a straight up baby bump, even though a good handful of gawkers online were pretty convinced it might be.

Now that we've seen her leave a sushi joint -- a food typically sworn off by pregnant women due to the risks it poses to a growing fetus -- it feels like we can put that notion to bed.

Howard Stern had some terse words for King Charles and his coronation -- going so far as to say he thought the guy was a "p****" and that the whole thing was a waste of money.

The radio talk show host went in on the Brits for putting on such an extravagant show for their new monarch -- who was officially crowned over the weekend in what amounted to a 3-day celebration, capping off with a massive concert with a lot pomp and circumstance.

You figure that's exactly what a coronation calls for, which HS says he understands -- but at his core ... he finds the idea revolting, seeing how they're pouring money down the drain.

Howard also takes some personal potshots at Charles himself ... saying the guy is no war hero, even though he kinda gets treated like one anyway by his royal subjects. His cohost, Robin, was getting in on the dogpile too ... and they called out Queen Camilla as well.

The 'American Idol' moment -- in which both Charles and Camilla made cameos on the show -- was in their crosshairs too ... with Howard saying they looked like complete stiffs on there.

Howard's gripes seem to be steeped in what a lot of people -- particularly Americans -- say about the monarchy ... namely, that it's outdated and completely unnecessary in modern times, both in terms of reverence paid and the money spent to showcase the Royal Family.

He says he gets its tie to tourism and that it drives interest in Britain at large, but the dude's completely unimpressed by the institution  ... and definitely isn't a fan of HRH, Chuck.

Prince Harry was in a real hurry to get out of town after the Coronation ... because he didn't hobnob once with senior members of the Royal Family.

According to multiple reports, Harry went to Buckingham Palace after King Charles and Queen Camilla were anointed Saturday at Westminster Abbey.

But, the Duke of Sussex stayed at The Palace for less than 30 minutes to take a breather from the public frenzy his presence had whipped up, The Daily Mail reports.

While he was there, Harry never interacted with high-level Royals, because he was anxious to get back to the States to be with his wife and child, sources told The Telegraph. At the same time, The Royals were busy with the Coronation procession, providing them cover NOT to meet with Harry.

Harry was also MIA from the Royal Family's official Coronation portrait and Sunday's Coronation Concert headlined by Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.

What's more, Harry was treated like a second-class Royal at the Coronation. He was seated in the third row during the two-hour ceremony, while his brother, Prince William, and wife, Kate Middleton, were front and center.

Harry seemed rather uncomfortable throughout the event as photographs emerged of him shooting awkward smiles.

Upon leaving The Palace, Harry jumped into a car and hightailed it to Heathrow Airport, where he caught a flight back to the US to celebrate his son Prince Archie's fourth birthday.

King Charles had a lot on his plate this weekend leading up to and following his Coronation, so it made it all the more shocking he popped up on "American Idol."

The King and Queen Camilla joined hosts Lionel Richie and Katy Perry Sunday night as they live streamed from Windsor Castle... right after Lionel and Katy's Royal performance..

Katy and Lionel, both judges on the show, kicked things off by recapping the weekend and the concert ... Lionel coyly said, "What a party, it was unbelievable. Now we are trying to figure out what we can do to bring something different to the show. So, I have a surprise."

Charles and Camilla both popped up on stage ... with huge smiles on their faces.

Charles said, "I just wanted to check how long you will be using this room for. I just wanted to check." Lionel's response ... "We have to give up the room up right away."

The appearance comes after Charles and Camilla watched LR and KP perform their hit songs from the royal box during the star-studded Coronation concert, which wrapped up the big weekend.

Of course, the events were centered around Saturday's Coronation ... watched by millions around the world.

Meghan Markle was a no-show at her father-in-law's Coronation this weekend -- but she did attend Mother Nature's daily offering of sunshine and blue skies ... some 5,000+ miles away.

The Duchess of Sussex surfaced in public Sunday -- the first time we've seen her out amid all the chatter about her absence during King Charles' crowning ceremony and all the festivities preceding and following it. Here, she's on a hike with friends ... sans Prince Harry.

Indeed, her husband was nowhere to be seen in this rare outing near their Montecito home -- one in which Meg appeared to be getting some exercise with just a couple of longtime close pals ... Markus Anderson and Heather Dorak, both of whom she's known for years.

As you can see, MM looks pretty chipper. She's got on quite the outdoorsy getup -- wearing all-black athletic wear, sunglasses, a scarf and wide-brimmed hat. Very fashionable!

Of course, her vibe here is ... well, just living life. No sign of concern or worry about having missed the big shindig -- just her and her crew doing their thing outside and laughing it up. It's interesting that Harry isn't with her here -- but, he did have a long flight home yesterday.

You'll recall ... he hightailed it out of London pretty much as soon as his pops had his crown on, beelining it to the airport to get back to Cali in hopes of catching some of Archie's bday.

It's likely dad was pooped and might've been catching some shut-eye after a marathon day.

The Coronation of King Charles might be done, but the party's just getting started ... because a massive concert with Lionel Richie and Katy Perry is about to kick off!

The big Coronation Concert, streamed by BBC, is almost underway ... other than the 2 "American Idol" hosts puttin' on a show, it's going to be a packed lineup -- with names like Andrea Bocelli, Steve Winwood, Nicole Scherzinger, and British group Take That jumping on stage.

The event supposedly is featuring prerecorded sketches with big names, too ... like Tom Cruise, Bear Grylls, and Joan Collins.

Winnie the Pooh's even making an appearance -- no doubt matching the same energy from Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Party when she had tea with Paddington.

As we reported, the big bash comes after Saturday's Coronation, which was observed by millions of folks ... whether they were right outside those Westminster doors or halfway across the globe.

Some members of the royal fam had some parts to play throughout the ceremony ... like Prince William, who pledged allegiance once Charles was crowned. 9-year-old Prince George had some big responsibilities, too -- taking on the role of one of the Kings' 4 Pages.

Superfans even camped out ahead of yesterday's festivities, rocking some pretty awesome garbs in support of the big day. While there are certainly a lot of Brits out in support of their King this weekend -- one person who is noticeably absent is Prince Harry ... who made a very brief appearance during Saturday's coronation ceremony, only to bounce soon after.

Like we reported ... the dude was relegated to the cheap seats, and didn't have any major role in it whatsoever. He didn't even get to wear his military uniform, despite having served for Britain. Instead, he was in and out ... showing face, and skedaddling almost as quickly as he came. Reports say Harry wanted to make it back to L.A. to celebrate his kid's birthday.

No matter ... the show must go on regardless, and the performers are about to hit the stage.

Buckle up, we're sure to be guaranteed a solid few hours of music!

King Charles and Queen Camilla celebrated their coronation with the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, but one person was an obvious no-show at the festivities: Prince Harry.

In fact, Harry was seen driving away from Windsor Castle after the coronation so he could reportedly catch a flight back to the U.S. to ring in his son Prince Archie's fourth birthday with wife, Meghan Markle.

Even if Harry had stayed behind, he reportedly would not have been allowed on the balcony since he and Meghan stepped down as senior members of the Royal Family in 2020, putting aside their monarchal duties.

Instead, the newly crowned king and queen of the United Kingdom were surrounded by other Royal Family members, including Prince William, his princess wife, Kate, and their kiddos, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Harry's early exit might also be tied to his experience at the coronation. It didn't exactly go great for Harry, who was relegated to the third row during the ceremony while William got front-row seats with Kate.

Harry also arrived solo to the event, leaving Meghan at home in Montecito with Archie and their daughter Princess Lilibet. While at the coronation, Harry seemed to be in an awkward space as he interacted with family, putting on fake smiles and forcing himself to laugh.

History has just been made, as King Charles has been given his crown at his monumental coronation -- taking the reins in a centuries-long tradition following last year's death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II.

Charles made things official Saturday morning at Westminster Abbey in London ... where people came in droves to watch the ceremony unfold, including Prince Harry, Prince William, Kate Middleton and other members of the royal family -- not to mention the millions/billions of others watching across the globe.

Charles gave the traditional coronation oath before signing a pledge to serve his people. He was later given St. Edward's Crown -- something that's been a part of the lineage for over 400 years!

William pledged allegiance following his father's crowning, while little Prince George served as one of the service's 4 Pages. The procession is now underway, taking Charles and Queen Camilla back to Buckingham Palace through the streets of London.

The coronation was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby -- leading these coronations has been a task for Archbishops since the first one went down way back in 1066 for William I the Conqueror.

Don't forget, today's festivities took a lot of preparation -- as we reported, Buckingham Palace was recently transformed in order for those involved to go over the layout on a more private scale.

This week, we've seen the likes of Prince William, Kate, and their kids heading to Westminster for some rehearsals ahead of the real deal.

And just days before the coronation, swarms of fans camped outside to show their support -- donning some pretty spectacular outfits, too.

You'll recall, Charles was thrust into power following the death of QE 2 in September ... news that rocked the entire world for weeks on end. Her funeral procession had all eyes on it, too.

Remember, her coffin was even rushed by someone as people waited up to 28 hours to pay respects -- but he was rapidly tackled by cops and arrested.

There was a ton of drama following her death, specifically between the royal fam and Prince Harry & Meghan Markle ... after the couple's Netflix series blasted what they saw as toxicity within the palace walls. Harry was even reportedly written out of Saturday's big event as a result of his book, "Spare."

PH and MM did eventually get an invite to the coronation, but only Harry attended, with Meghan and the kiddos staying across the pond.

Prince Harry wasn't treated like much of a prince at Saturday's coronation ... 'cause he was relegated to the cheap seats while his brother, William, sat center stage.

Harry got the less-than-royal treatment as he and the world watched the coronation of his father King Charles III at Westminster Abbey church in London.

The Duke of Sussex flew solo to the much-anticipated event, leaving his wife, Meghan Markle, at their home in Montecito amid continuing tensions between them and the Royal Family.

Harry was grinning awkwardly while seated among many onlookers three rows back from where his father was getting crowned King. By contrast, his brother, Prince William, was sitting front and center and enjoying the festivities with his wife, Kate, at his side.

Clad in a black suit with medals attached, Harry was also seen mingling with relatives after arriving at the church with Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice and their husbands. His interactions with family reportedly seemed off with his fake smiles and laughter.