Prince Harry will miss the first day of the trial in London

Prince Harry’s (40) trial against the publisher News Group Newspapers (NGN), which publishes the British newspaper The Sun, among others, begins on January 21. However, the American by choice will not be present in person on that day. As a spokesman for the Duke of Sussex confirmed to People , his court appearance is not planned until February.

The trial revolves around allegations that journalists and private detectives illegally collected information about the son of King Charles (76) between 1996 and 2011, for example by tapping telephones. NGN denies these allegations.

The legal dispute is not the first of its kind, but Harry is one of a small group of plaintiffs who are continuing the lawsuit against the media group. While celebrities such as Hugh Grant (64) and Sienna Miller (43) have settled their lawsuits for large sums of money, the 40-year-old is continuing to rely on the courts and stresses that his main concern is responsibility.

In December, he said at a New York Times event: “I cannot stand by and watch these journalists ruin journalism for everyone, because we depend on it.”Harry and his wife Duchess Meghan (43) live with their children in California. A tragedy has been unfolding there for almost two weeks, as fires are raging in and around Los Angeles.

The ex-royals live about 145 kilometers away from the affected regions, but according to reports from People, they immediately offered their support : The actress and the Briton are said to have taken in friends who lost their livelihoods in the fires.